The Spider's Thread
by FourthDistraction
Summary: One year after saving humanity from the Holy Grail, strange occurrences bring Akira Kurusu back to Tokyo during summer break. At the same time, a curious case prompts brand-new police officer Yu Narukami to reassemble the Investigation Team. They might all be Persona-users, but can a ragtag group of investigators find common ground with the infamous Phantom Thieves of Hearts? P4/P5
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I just finished Persona 5 and I couldn't get it out of my head, so here's some more Persona. (Sorry for people waiting on _Spark_ updates, I need a break from _Yuri on Ice_ for a bit, but I'll be back soon!) A note on ships, I actually like a whole bunch of Persona ships, but these are the ones I've chosen to write about.

Important note on games, I'm only considering Persona 4 (no spin-offs, other than maybe _Golden_ ) and Persona 5 for this. That means that you should be able to read this without having played any of the other spin off games. (I haven't personally played any of the spin-offs, so if this contradicts those, I apologize).

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

" _But it so happened that Kandata, in the_

 _midst of his suffering, raised his head and_

 _looked towards the sky above the lake. And_

 _he saw, descending gradually towards him_

 _in a straight, shimmering line, as though_

 _fearful of being seen by man's eyes, the_

 _silvery thread of the spider."_

-Ryunosuke Akutagawa, "The Spider's Thread"

 _ **Tokyo – Evening**_

"I'm going to find her…"

A figure crept through a silent upscale apartment, a knife clenched in one hand. Streetlights from outside cast a light on his face, revealing gleaming eyes, a mouth pulled into a grin. The intruder was an older man, in his mid-thirties, dressed in a rumpled business suit. The door of the apartment swung open behind him.

"I'm…going to find her…"

His feet scraped against the carpet as he shuffled through the living room, walking towards a closed door. The man's hand landed on the door. He pushed on it and it swung open noiselessly, revealing a bedroom. A single shaft of moonlight came in through the bedroom's open curtains, illuminating the figure on the bed.

It was a young woman in her early twenties, reddish brown hair strewn around her head like a halo. She was lying on her back, a pillow nestled in the crook of her arm. Her chest rose and fell with sleep.

The man moved towards her, the sound of his footsteps masked by the hum of an air conditioner. He stretched out one hand towards her, his grin widening as he raised the knife.

At the last second, before he could touch her, the woman's eyes drifted open. They widened when she saw him, and she screamed.

* * *

The door to her apartment was open, and all the lights were on inside, a pair of policemen questioning the apartment's sole occupant. Yu Narukami paused in the doorway, watching as a third policeman led a handcuffed man out. Yu's eyes passed over the culprit in question, taking in his appearance and expression. He was muttering to himself, shaking his head. Yu frowned in thought, stepping into the apartment.

One of the policemen spotted him, getting to his feet. "Excuse me, sir, you can't be here," he said. "This is a crime scene."

"It's alright," said the woman on the couch, flashing him a tired smile. "I asked him to come here."

Yu gave the officers a reassuring smile, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a badge. He showed it to them and slipped it back into his pocket. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't touch anything."

"Is this the boyfriend you mentioned, Kujikawa-san?" the second officer asked, turning towards the woman.

Rise Kujikawa nodded, resting her hands on her knees. "Thank you for coming down so late, Yu," she said.

"It's no problem at all," said Yu. "I'm here to help."

"We have this pretty much taken care of," said the second officer. "But if you could stay with Kujikawa-san while we take another look around, that would be a big help."

Yu nodded. "Leave it to me," he said.

He took the seat next to Rise when the policemen left them alone, letting out a tired sigh. Rise gave him an embarrassed smile, clasping her hands together. "Sorry," she said. "I know it's your night off."

"Don't apologize for this," Yu said, shaking his head. He breathed deep, trying to inject more energy into his demeanor. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess," said Rise. "They said he was a stalker. I'm still not sure how he managed to get through the locks in the first place. This building is supposed to have really good security."

Yu frowned at her in concern. "He didn't—," he began.

Rise shook her head. "No," she said. "He didn't touch me at all. He backed off as soon as I woke up and started screaming." She let out a sigh, leaning back in the couch and staring up at the ceiling. "I'm lucky, I guess."

"Rise…" Yu began.

Before he could finish, Rise turned towards him, flashing him a brilliant smile. "I really am fine, Yu," she said. "Don't worry. I'm just a little…shaken, I guess."

"Anyone would be," Yu began.

"—and that's not all." Rise broke in before he could say any more, a frown on her face. She tapped at the corner of her mouth with one finger, shaking her head. "There's…something else."

"Something else?" Yu asked.

"I'm just…I can't put my finger on it," she said. "But there was something…wrong with that man. It felt—you're going to think this is crazy. It felt almost…how Shadows used to feel, when I would sense them with Kouzeon. But that's silly, isn't it?" Rise let out a nervous laugh. "I'm probably just working too hard. Stay here, okay? I'm going to see if the police need anything else."

She got to her feet, hands clasped behind her back as she walked off. Yu watched as she walked off, thinking.

After a moment, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. He scrolled through a list of contacts, before finally stopping on one.

Naoto Shirogane.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/22 (Sat)**_

 _ **Elsewhere in Japan**_

"I thought school was _never_ going to let out," a black cat said, sticking its head out of a schoolbag. He took a grateful gulp of air. "Ah, fresh air! I didn't think it was even possible, but that school gets even hotter than Shujin!"

Akira Kurusu hummed in response, holding onto the straps of his bag with one hand. With the other, he tugged at a lock of black hair that had fallen into his face.

It was a hot summer day, the kind of heat that made shimmering waves rise up from the pavement. Akira tugged at the collar of his school uniform absently, loosening one of the buttons. From inside his bag, Morgana twitched and shifted position, making the bag bump into his side.

"Hey, it's summer break!" Morgana said. "Are you excited, Akira?"

Excited…

Akira frowned as he thought about how to answer that question, staring at the long stretch of road ahead of him. Summer break back home was much…quieter than it was in Tokyo. Last summer…

It was Futaba, wasn't it? That endless stretch of desert. It had been hot then too.

So hot…

Maybe he'd pick up some ice cream on the way home.

Tires screeched on the deserted road, the sound cutting through the still summer air. Akira's eyes widened, and he looked behind him in time to see a blue van peeling around the corner, a blond, tough-looking boy behind the wheel. The van skidded to a stop beside him, tires squealing. Before Akira could speak, the door slid open, revealing a group of teenagers seated in the back of the van.

"Alright, we found him!" a girl with curly hair shouted. "Grab him!"

Two pairs of hands, one pair belonging to a blond girl and the other belonging to a dark-haired boy, reached out from the inside of the van, grabbing Akira by the arms and pulling him in. Akira let out a startled sound.

"Hey!" Morgana shouted, as he and Akira were hauled into the back of the van. The door slammed shut, and the van rocked with the commotion, the sound of a yowling cat echoing in the air.

"He's in!" an orange-haired girl yelled. "Step on it, Ryuji!"

"Got it!" the driver shouted. "Everyone hold on tight!"

The van's engine roared, wheels squeaking as it pulled away from the scene and turned the corner.


	2. Return

**A/N:** For the record, the other pairings that this fic will be going with on the side are Kanji/Naoto from Persona 4, and Ryuji/Makoto and Yusuke/Futaba from Persona 5. I don't imagine that I'll focus too much on the romance aspect of the pairings for this story, but I might be wrong. Either way, you can ignore the P5 pairings if you don't like them, but the people from P4 will already be in established relationships by the start of the story.

Thanks for all your support, and enjoy!

* * *

 ** _20XY/07/22 (Sat)_**

"Sorry about that," Ann said off-handedly, as the rest of the former Phantom Thieves took up places around Akira's room. "We just saw you walking down the road and couldn't resist. Did we surprise you?"

"I'll say we were surprised!" said Morgana, jumping up onto the bed and running a paw over his head to smooth out the fur. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," Ryuji said, grinning. "But did you see my driving? Pretty awesome, huh? Makoto's been teaching me."

"Um…" Akira began, looking around his room at them.

"Your driving really has gotten a lot better, Ryuji," Makoto said, taking a seat on the other side of a low table and tucking her legs under herself.

"Yeah!" Futaba chimed in. "Inari only got sick once this time!"

Yusuke scowled in irritation, glaring at her. "That was you who was sick, you demon woman," he said.

"Not possible," said Futaba. " _I_ have a stomach of steel!"

"So this is your room, Akira-kun?" Haru asked, looking around with her hands clasped neatly behind herself. "I have to say, it's not quite what I expected."

"I see you've hung _Desire and Hope_ on your wall," said Yusuke, nodding in approval. "It truly is a great work of art."

"This is the real work of art," said Futaba, crouching down in front of Akira's computer and running her hands lovingly over the case. She ignored the affronted look Yusuke shot her, humming to herself. "A Futaba Sakura original. Bet it still runs like a dream, doesn't it, Akira?"

"Uh…" said Akira.

"Dude, no way!" said Ryuji, stifling a laugh. Somehow, the blond had made his way over to Akira's closet. He was holding a hanger with Akira's winter uniform draped over it. "Your school uniform is a _gakuran_? I bet this doesn't suit you at all."

"I think he'd look great in it!" said Ann with a frown, hands resting on her waist. "Be nice, Ryuji."

"I'm just saying," said Ryuji. "Hey, when are we gonna go running?"

"Snacks!" Futaba said, straightening up. "I demand snacks! Do you have anything organic?"

"I have so missed your coffee," Yusuke said. "If I'm not being too much of a bother."

"I'd like some coffee too," said Makoto, smiling. "If that's alright."

"Oh, me too!" said Ann.

"I'd like some coffee as well," said Haru. "I've even brought some beans. Oh—but…this was supposed to be for you and your family. Oh well…I hope you don't mind."

"That's great," Akira said. "But…"

"No coffee for me, thanks," said Ryuji. "You got any soda?"

"Could someone please just tell us what you're all doing here?!" Morgana asked from the bed, speaking loudly enough to cut through the clamor. The six excited Phantom Thieves fell silent, all of them turning to look at him.

"Oh, that's right!" Ann said, slapping her palm to her forehead. "Ugh, we completely forgot! Sorry, Akira. I guess we all just…uh, got too excited to see you again."

A blush spread over her face at the words, and somehow—even after getting dragged forcibly into a van and after all of the chaos and loudness and confusion—it was only then that their presence in his room really sank in. They were all here, watching him, looking equal parts excited and sheepish. All of his friends.

Had he really fought a god with these people only seven months ago?

The silence dragged on long enough to be awkward, all of them watching him to see what he would do. Akira cleared his throat.

"So…five coffees, one soda, fruit and—," He chanced a glance in Ann's direction. "—sweets? That's a lot of stuff. Can I get a hand?"

The mood in the room relaxed, and Akira swore he heard a few people let out sighs of relief.

"I'll help," Ann said, brightly, a smile on her face as she walked over to the door. Akira held it open for her. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Yusuke start to turn, his mouth opening as if he was about to offer assistance. Akira dipped his head to hide his smirk as Ryuji elbowed him in the side, dragging him away from the door.

* * *

Akira worked on the coffee while Ann got the rest of the food together. Ann made a delighted sound when she opened a cupboard to find it full of all of their favorite snacks—or at least whatever brands Akira could find out in the country.

"You even have the chocolates I like!" Ann said, looking through the packages. "Akira, this is really sweet."

Akira turned his back to her to hide the warmth spreading over his face, working with the coffee beans—some of the last of the stock Sojiro had sent him from LeBlanc. "Yeah, well…" he said. "I thought you would all visit eventually."

"I missed you a lot," Ann said. "I wanted to come sooner, but…"

She trailed off, a touch of regret in her voice. She didn't need to finish. Akira understood. They'd all been busy. And if the conversations in the group chat were anything to go by, Ann and the rest of the former Phantom Thieves were busier than most other students. He and Morgana hadn't completely slacked off either, even if this town wasn't as busy as Tokyo. Still, he'd found himself concentrating on his studies more than usual this year.

Universities in Tokyo were hard to get into, after all.

"I missed you too," he said. "I'm glad you're here."

Ann flashed him a brilliant smile, and that was really all that needed to be said.

* * *

His room wasn't big enough for seven people and one cat to lounge around in comfortably, so they ended up bringing the snacks and drinks into the living room. The eight of them settled around the low table with ease, leaning closer in a way that reminded Akira of times spent standing around a table in the safe room, or lounging around at their hideout for no real reason in particular.

They didn't launch straight into business, instead taking the time to catch up and swap stories about their months apart. Apparently, college was treating Haru and Makoto well. Futaba was having some trouble adjusting to school, but Ann and Ryuji were helping whenever they could, and in her own words, she'd spent enough time 'level grinding' over the first few months to be ready for the next term.

They were halfway through their food when the topic of what they were doing here came up for the second time.

"So, yeah," Ryuji said, "You know how Mishima kept the Phan-Site going? Well it's slowed down a lot since all that happened, but we've still been getting requests. And well, we've been doing what we can. Little things, y'know? Can't change anyone's hearts without the Metaverse, but all that time we spent trying to get you out of jail made us realize that there's still stuff we _can_ do."

"Inari and I stopped an online art thief," Futaba said, leaning over the table.

"Plagiarism is an unforgivable crime," said Yusuke, nodding.

"And Mako-chan and I exposed an academic dishonesty scandal," Haru said.

Makoto let out a guilty laugh, stirring her coffee with a spoon. "Sis was so mad," she said. "She knew it was us as soon as the news came out. I was supposed to be lying low."

"Ryuji and I stopped some bullies," Ann added.

"No big deal," said Ryuji, grinning.

"I'm impressed," said Morgana. "It looks like you all remember what it means to be a Phantom Thief."

"I did intend to quit," Yusuke said, smiling. "But, well, it appears that our services are in high demand."

"Indeed," said Makoto. "Which…kind of brings us to the reason we're here today." She looked around the table, and Akira noticed that each of his companions were watching her eagerly. Makoto's eyes landed on each of them in turn before she inclined her head towards Ryuji.

"Ryuji," she said. "You tell him."

"Alright!" said Ryuji, grinning. He turned towards Akira. "Oh, man, you aren't going to _believe_ this. Brace yourself, man. This is big news. You ready? You braced?"

"Fire away," said Akira.

"We found the Metaverse!"

" _What?!"_ Morgana asked. "But—but that's impossible!"

"We thought so too," said Makoto. "And…point of clarification, it isn't _actually_ the Metaverse. It's more of a…a remnant."

"Remnant?" Akira asked.

"You know how when you uninstall a program or delete a file, the data doesn't really go away?" Futaba asked. "Kinda like that."

"The cognitive distortion caused by having Tokyo merge with the depths of Mementos must have been strong enough to create distorted spaces that still persist, even after most of the Metaverse has been erased," said Yusuke. "That's how I understand it, anyway."

"Ex-actly," Futaba said.

"The best part?" asked Ann. "We don't even need the app."

"I don't know if it's because we're Persona-users or whatever," said Ryuji, "But once we found the entrance, it was easy to just slide right in. The other side's…well, it's weird. We don't think it belongs to anyone. It's kind of…free floating. Like Mementos."

"That's incredible," said Morgana. "And once you got to the other side?"

"We were dressed in thief clothes again," said Haru. "I was able to summon Astarte. But it doesn't look like the pockets are very big."

"Pockets?" Akira asked, frowning. "You found more than one?"

"Well," said Ryuji. "That's kinda why we're here, man."

"We first stumbled onto these…remnants while we were following a lead on the Phan-Site about a group of high school delinquents," said Yusuke. "Since then, well…I don't know how much you've looked at the Phan-Site lately, Akira."

Akira shook his head. He'd checked the Phan-Site pretty frequently after first returning from Tokyo, but it had been all but dead. The few comments that still popped up were directly related to Tokyo and its surrounds, so he really only looked at it now when he was feeling a touch of nostalgia. Still, when Futaba pulled the site up on her phone and showed it to him, he began to wonder if he should have been paying closer attention.

The site was more active than he had seen it in a while, with several links and new requests. Futaba took her phone back, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Apparently," said Makoto, "There's been a sudden rash of people acting…strange."

"Define strange," said Akira.

"You know," said Futaba. "Violent. Different. Like...'psychotic breakdowns'? Ring any bells?"

"I thought you said the pockets weren't connected to anyone!" said Morgana.

"It _is_ a great mystery," said Yusuke. "A fascinating puzzle, befitting the Phantom Thieves."

The Phantom Thieves.

Akira stared down at his hand, thinking about the red glove that had once covered it, the power he had once wielded. He could be Joker again.

Ryuji clapped a hand on his shoulder, drawing him out of his thoughts. Akira jumped, turning his head towards his friend.

"So what we really came here to ask," Ryuji said, "is: What're you doing this summer?"

* * *

It was early enough in the evening that the bar was still quiet, with only a few excitable university students and young professionals sitting around the establishment. Yu checked his phone from where he sat at a booth in the corner, idly scrolling through his messages and emails.

"Do you want a drink?" a voice asked.

Yu looked up at the person standing next to him, a young woman with long, dark hair. The professional suit and tie she wore was cut in a more masculine style, but fit her small frame perfectly. Her expression was grim and solemn. The corner of Yu's lip quirked up in a wry smile.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm spoken for."

"What a coincidence," the woman said dryly, taking the seat across from him. "So am I." She raised her hand, motioning for one of the waiters to bring them something to drink. Yu smiled in spite of himself.

"It's good to see you, Naoto," he said.

"It's good to see you too, Yu," Naoto said, giving him a smile. "Or should I say Officer Narukami? It seems as though congratulations are in order."

Yu shook his head, still smiling. "Congratulate me when I make detective," he said.

"Very well," Naoto said. "How is Rise? When I called her, she said she was unhurt, but…" Naoto trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

"She's fine," Yu said. "A little shaken, but not hurt."

"You're staying with her for a little while, I assume?" Naoto asked.

"Keep that out of the papers, though."

Naoto nodded. "Always." She reached into the bag she carried with her, drawing out a file folder. "So, to business. Yoshio Hitani, aged 36. Occupation: building security manager. No priors, and after his arrest, a large collection of Risette memorabilia was found at his residence. All in all, it looks like an open and shut case of fan-stalking." She gave him a searching look, sliding the folder across the table towards him. "All of this is information you could have gotten yourself."

"There's also the other thing Rise mentioned," Yu said.

"Yes," Naoto said, folding her arms. "The other thing."

Their conversation drew to a stop as the waiter arrived, setting drinks down in front of them. The both of them thanked him, and didn't start talking again until he had returned to the other side of the bar. Naoto picked up her glass and frowned, swirling it so that the ice clinked.

"Where would you like to start?" she asked.

Yu shrugged. "It might be nothing," he admitted. "But…"

"But Rise's intuition has saved us before," said Naoto. "And considering the…shall we say, odd occurrences from last year, it's best to err on the side of caution. Is that what you want to say?"

She set her glass down. Yu gave her a knowing smile. "When I called you," he began, "I wasn't expecting you to already be in Tokyo."

"Surprised?" Naoto asked. "Now that my counterpart has disappeared, it appears the Tokyo police have gotten over their reluctance to ask a woman for assistance. Even if I don't 'interview well'."

"You're already working on a case," said Yu.

"Two," said Naoto. "Although I will admit that one is simply to satisfy my own curiosity. Is Rise home right now?"

Yu shook his head. "She's filming for a music video tonight," he said.

"But you have keys to her apartment, I'm assuming?"

Yu nodded.

"I'd like to take a look around," said Naoto. "And then perhaps we can discuss this case."


	3. Thread

**A/N:** Well, somehow I managed to write another chapter today, but this next week is going to be busy, so daily updates will _definitely_ not be the norm. Just a heads up. Also, to people who have asked about Labrys and Sho Minazuki, I'm not including any of the spin-off games (Arena, Q, Dancing All Night) in this story, both to keep it simple and because I haven't actually played them. So this will come off as a bit of an AU for those of you who have played them all. Only consider Persona 4 and Persona 5 for this.

I know the Investigation Team hasn't really come into play yet, but it's easier for the Phantom Thieves to meet up than it is for them, since it's been a while, they all have lives, and most of them are in Inaba. They'll trickle into the story soon, guys! Enjoy!

* * *

 ** _20XY/07/22 (Sat)_**

 ** _Evening_**

"So your parents are cool with you going to Tokyo for summer break?" Ryuji asked from the driver's seat as the blue van sped down the highway.

Akira sat by the window in the row behind Ryuji, fiddling with his phone. "Dunno yet," he said.

Ryuji frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Akira glanced up from his phone, meeting Ryuji's startled eyes in the rearview mirror. "It means drive faster," he said.

* * *

It was past Leblanc's usual closing time by the time the van pulled into the backstreets of Yongen-jaya, but lights were still on inside the store. Akira walked in through the front door, a backpack full of clothes slung over his shoulder and the rest of the former Phantom Thieves behind him. Sojiro was standing behind the counter, his phone tucked between his shoulder and ear. He paused to give Akira a pointed glance before turning away, speaking into the phone.

"Don't worry," he said, "They'll be here soon. I just heard from my daughter. They're pulling into the city now." A pause, while whoever was on the line responded. Sojiro shook his head, frowning. "He's a good kid. But you can't keep a kid like that locked up. I don't care how good your intentions are—he'll find a way. Yes—yes, I'll tell him. I'll keep an eye on him for you. It's no trouble at all."

He hung up his phone and turned to face the door, shooting Akira an unamused glare.

"Really?" Sojiro asked.

Akira glanced down at the ground, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. After everything that had happened last year, there weren't many people left who could make him feel guilty and sheepish. Sojiro was one of them.

Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I guess you did leave a note," he said. "Still, do you know how angry your mom is right now? You're supposed to call her when you arrive, by the way. And don't do anything stupid. Another arrest is the last thing your record needs."

"I was acquitted," Akira said.

"Like universities are going to care," Sojiro said. He set a plate of curry down onto the countertop with a little more force than strictly necessary. "Sit down and eat."

Akira nodded, stepping forward and taking a seat at the counter. He kept his eyes on the countertop as he picked up his spoon, not looking up at Sojiro. The others clustered awkwardly around the door.

"Well—uh—we'll let you two catch up!" Ann said. "It's getting a little late anyway."

"I'm tired from the drive," Ryuji said, stretching his arms up over his head. "Meet up again tomorrow?"

"We'll come by and see you in the afternoon," Makoto said. "Get some rest for now."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna head home," Futaba said, hands clasped behind her back. "See you later, Sojiro!"

"Good night," Yusuke said, bowing politely before following the others out.

"Yes," Haru echoed. "Good night, Akira-kun. Mona-chan. Sakura-san."

The bell rang as the door swung shut. Akira listened as the echoes of their conversation died down, leaving him alone with Sojiro. Morgana leaped up onto the seat beside him, tail swishing.

"Well," Morgana said, "I guess it's only expected that he'd be a little mad at you."

Akira chose not to respond. Sojiro turned around and returned with a small bowl, dropping it onto the countertop beside Akira with considerably less force. Morgana let out a sound of appreciation, leaping up onto the countertop.

"You're the best, Chief!" he said, already starting to eat.

"I can never tell what that cat is saying," Sojiro said, rubbing at the back of his head and frowning at Morgana.

"He's thanking you," Akira said, without looking up.

"Yeah?" Sojiro asked. "Well he should. Honestly, the things you kids put me through…"

Akira wisely decided not to respond, continuing to eat. When his plate was clear, Sojiro took it away and replaced it with another plate, a smaller one with a slice of cake on it. Akira noticed with a grimace that the plate clanged when it hit the countertop.

"Here," Sojiro said. "Try it."

"I didn't know we served cake," Akira said, picking up a teaspoon.

"We don't," said Sojiro. "It's a new recipe I'm trying out. Give it a taste."

"Huh…"

Akira scooped up a small piece of cake. He placed it into his mouth—

—and promptly started choking.

He doubled over, coughing as he tried to remove the taste of cake from his mouth. Sojiro watched him in concern.

"No good?" he asked.

"It's awful—," Akira said, before starting up another round of coughing.

How was it possible that cake could be this bad? He'd had prison food that tasted better. Hell, Tae Takemi's medicines had gone over better than that!

"Huh—," Sojiro said. "I guess the recipe still has some kinks. Uh, h-here, let me get you a glass of water."

Akira gulped down the water gratefully, not stopping until the glass was empty. Only then did he look up and notice that both Sojiro and Morgana were watching him, their faces equally concerned.

"Hey, Akira, are you alright?" Morgana asked.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Sojiro asked.

"None."

Sojiro let out a sigh of relief. "Alright," he said, taking the plate away. "We can try the cake again another day."

Akira paled, watching as Sojiro slid the rest of the cake into the trash. Morgana leaped down and sniffed at the trash can, letting out a sound halfway between a shout of disgust and an angry hiss. Akira felt his stomach plummet. He had the oddest sense of foreboding…

* * *

Naoto completed her circuit of Rise's apartment, coming back into the living room where Yu was waiting. "There are no signs of forced entry," she said. "As expected."

Yu nodded. Yoshio Hitani had been the security manager for the building, so the fact that the doors weren't forced didn't exactly tell them anything new. Naoto was right; it seemed like an open and shut case. Other than what Rise said, he couldn't quite pinpoint what about this felt so wrong. He frowned, looking away from her and sweeping his eyes over the living room.

"You had a thought?" Naoto asked.

Yu shrugged. "I met Hitani before," he said. "He was standing by the elevator once, when I came to visit Rise. He knew who I was coming to see, but I didn't notice anything odd about his behavior."

"You're saying that if he were obsessed enough to break into a tenant's apartment, he should also have been obsessed enough to show some amount of jealousy upon finding out about your relationship with Rise?" Naoto asked.

"It's happened before," Yu said. One of the drawbacks to dating an idol.

"Interesting," Naoto said. "Although it certainly wouldn't be the first case of someone managing to conceal their hidden motives over the course of their daily life."

Yu nodded. The word _'Adachi'_ hang in the air between them, but Adachi certainly wasn't the only one. He turned back towards her. "You mentioned a case?" he asked.

Naoto gave him a smile. "Yes," she said. "As you've likely surmised, my case runs along the same lines as this one. It appears that Hitani is not the only person to undergo a sudden shift in personality in recent weeks."

"Meaning?" Yu asked.

"There are several other people whose—hidden desires have come very rapidly to the surface, causing them to act in ways that friends and family insist are out of character," said Naoto. "The case is similar enough to the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns from last year that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have requested my assistance. Hitani fits the same pattern."

Last year…

Yu frowned, his eyes drawn to the window in Rise's living room, the one that looked out over the city. He still remembered the way the city had changed on Christmas Eve, sitting here in this apartment and watching blood rain from the sky. He might have thought it was a hallucination, had Rise not seen it too. But neither of them had been able to do anything. The roads were closed, and by the time they made it to Shibuya, the center of the distortion, it was all over.

He didn't even get to see the Phantom Thieves. Just the crowds filtering out through the scramble crossing, slowly losing their memory of everything that had just transpired. Even he wasn't sure how clear his memories of that day were. He hadn't been able to find the entrance to the Velvet Room.

He shook his head. "That can't be allowed to happen again," he told Naoto.

"On that, we agree," said Naoto. "Unfortunately, anything of note regarding how the psychotic breakdowns were actually triggered was erased by Masayoshi Shido's staff before his trial. I've been doing some digging."

"The Phantom Thieves probably know the answer," Yu said.

"If they can even be trusted in the first place," said Naoto. She shook her head. "Regardless, this case is looking more interesting than I thought. Shall I ask your superiors to assign you to me as my police escort? I've found myself clashing with my current assistant."

"You can do that?" Yu asked.

"I can try," Naoto said. "I'll see what I can do. It will be like old times."

* * *

The blanket Kanji had knit for her was starting to unravel.

Naoto tugged at the loose end as she worked, even though she knew that it was counterproductive. It was summer outside, but her hotel room ran a touch too cold no matter what she did, so she had the blanket draped over her shoulders. Her case notes were spread out in front of her, both in the form of papers and photographs strewn out over the hotel room desk and in the form of files open on her laptop. She was reading a report now, the penultimate case report filed by consulting detective Goro Akechi.

It was curious, she thought, how many of Akechi's cases had involved culprits similar to the ones she was investigating now, men and women who had been almost normal until the moment of their descent into insanity. Curious…and ultimately disturbing. And more curious was the fact that no one in any position of power really seemed to care where Goro Akechi—a minor and a self-proclaimed ace detective—had gone.

Her pen scratched against paper as she made another note. She felt like she was starting to get an idea.

The ringing of her phone stopped her. Naoto pulled her hand away from where it was worrying at the loose thread, tapping on the answer button. She smiled in spite of herself, setting down her pen.

"You're still awake?" she asked, glancing at the clock. "It's late."

"Should be telling you that," Kanji said. "I bet you're still working."

Naoto's eyes passed over the mess in front of her, her smile growing slightly sheepish. "Guilty as charged," she said. "I'm close to a breakthrough."

"Yeah?" Kanji asked. "This the case you're working on with Yu, or somethin' different?"

"Something different," Naoto said. "The former case still remains woefully impenetrable."

"That hard?"

"On the contrary, it's very simple," Naoto said. "At least, if you take each individual incident separately. But together, well…I'm still in Tokyo, aren't I?"

"Hey, I noticed," Kanji said. The next few words were half-mumbled into the phone, as if saying them embarrassed him. "I—uh—might've been missing you a little."

"I've missed you too," Naoto said, unconsciously tugging the blanket closer to herself. "Still, my being busy is…good, I suppose." Last year had been a relative drought, case-wise. With Goro Akechi busy in Tokyo, she'd been able to spend more time in Inaba, with Kanji and the others. As much as she missed having something to work on, she couldn't help but feel a touch of nostalgia for those days. She had a feeling that Kanji's thoughts ran along similar lines.

Kanji cleared his throat. "So—uh—how's Yu doin'? And—um, Rise's not hurt is she?"

"Everyone is perfectly fine," Naoto said. "All things considered. Kanji, something about this case…"

She trailed off, thinking about the look in Yu's eye when she had talked about the previous year. How was she supposed to put that into words?

"Yeah?" Kanji asked.

Naoto shook her head. "Nothing…" she said. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, uh, don't push yourself too hard," Kanji said. "And—hey, Naoto?"

"Yes?" Naoto asked.

"You know if things go bad and you need help…don't even hesitate. I'll come right on down. I'm serious. Don't—don't go rushing into things alone, okay?"

Naoto smiled. "I appreciate that, Kanji," she said. "I'll keep that in mind."

"G'night…" Kanji said.

"Good night."

The phone beeped, the connection cutting off. Kanji's voice vanished, and with it, the room seemed even emptier than before.

* * *

…Like old times.

Yu stood alone in the apartment for a while after Naoto left, trying to place the feeling inside of him. His hand reached up, curling in the fabric of his jacket just over his heart. That moment last year when the sky had turned red, he'd felt Izanagi-no-Okami inside of him, closer than before, the sharp snap of unbridled power. But it faded, as it always did when it wasn't needed. And lately, five or six years after the fight with Izanami, it felt like his powers, his abilities, were growing farther away.

He'd tried to live true to himself. He told himself it was probably a good thing that his abilities hadn't been needed. But last year had been different. Last year, his powers would have been useful. He'd been right here in the city, and his powers hadn't come.

It was like the world was moving on, leaving him behind, and ever since that day, he'd been feeling oddly unsatisfied.

Unfinished.

Something caught his eye, the gleam of light against the black of Rise's television screen. He walked over to it slowly, heart pounding. His hand stretched out, his breath catching in his throat.

Five inches away from the screen. Three inches. Two. One.

When his fingertips touched the cool surface but didn't pass through, Yu let out the breath he was holding. He pulled his hand back, letting it cover his face. He didn't know why he thought it would work this time. Even if he could still use his powers, the TV world had been closed for a while. He was just being stupid.

Something flickered in the corner of his vision.

Yu's eyes widened, and he dropped his hand away from his face, turning around. There was nothing there, just the streetlights shining in through the window. But for a second, he thought—no, he knew that couldn't be right, but he _thought—_

—He thought he had seen a blue butterfly.

* * *

The butterfly flew across the space between Rise's apartment and Yongen-jaya, flitting through an open window into an attic room. It flew over the room, past the sleeping form of a cat curled on the bed, and over the bed's sole occupant. The butterfly flew over the sleeping boy's head, and Akira Kurusu fell into a dream.

He was lying on a tiled floor when he came to, his head spinning. Akira opened his eyes, seeing a familiar velvet color.

"Interesting," said a voice. "I wondered who would come first. It appears our Trickster can hardly keep himself away…"

"I believe he's waking up," someone else said from near him, a woman.

"Lavenza?" Akira groaned.

The voice sounded quietly amused. "Not quite."

Akira turned his head. He was lying in the center of a vast room, the ceilings extended high above him. Beside him was a heavy wooden desk. A long-nosed man sat behind it, hands clasped in front of him. Above the desk was a large window with a clock face set into it, facing outwards. The clock, Akira noticed, had stopped, the second hand twitching like it was trying to start moving again. Above the clock was a large bell, hanging silent.

Beside the desk was a tall woman garbed in blue, her silver hair pulled away from her face with a headband.

"So you are my littlest sister's guest," she said.

Akira sat up, groaning. "You're not Lavenza," he said.

"I am her older sister, Margaret," the woman said. "Lavenza is…away at the moment. I'm certain you'll see her soon."

"Why am I here?" Akira asked, getting to his feet.

"You are about to embark on another journey," Igor said, and although Akira knew that this was the real Igor now, it still felt odd to hear an unfamiliar voice from such a familiar face. "As such, it appears that you will once again require our services. I'm here to inform you that those services have been resumed. When you need us, Trickster, we will meet again…"

* * *

 **Phantom Thief Group Chat – 07/22**

 **Ryuji:** Hey, man, you alive?

 **Akira:** Somehow.

 **Ryuji:** Phew. We thought Boss was gonna kill you.

 **Yusuke:** He does seem like the type whose temper would be frightening.

 **Futaba:** Who? Sojiro? No way. He's a big softie. Wouldn't hurt a fly!

 **Haru:** But Futaba-chan, didn't you cry the last time Sakura-san scolded you?

 **Futaba:** Nope.

 **Ann:** Wait, what? When was this?

 **Futaba:** DENIED!

 **Yusuke:** I admit to being somewhat curious.

 **Futaba:** Shut up, Inari.

 **Futaba:**.


	4. Tear

**A/N:** To everyone worried about ships: established relationships (Yu/Rise, Kanji/Naoto, Akira/Ann) will play a part in the story and will be discussed more often simply because they are important to the characters that are involved in them. Although the ships are not the focus of the story, they exist and will be brought up several times. In particular, the P4 characters have been in their respective relationships for years, and as is usually the case for relationships that have lasted that long, have been molding their lives around those relationships, so it will be impossible to talk about their current lives without discussing them.

 _Developing_ relationships (Ryuji/Makoto and Yusuke/Futaba) will be hinted at, but will only be explored fully if exploring them is pertinent to the plot (this is primarily a mystery/adventure/fantasy story and not a romance story). For those of you who _do_ like those ships, though, I'll probably throw in a few scenes when it's relevant, since I personally like those ships and would like to see more of them. I'm not going to hide the ships for the sake of people who don't like them, but since this is not a romance story, I don't imagine it will get too overwhelming for non-shippers to follow.

* * *

" _Seeker…"_

 _The voice was a young girl's, calling to him from somewhere behind the fog. A blue light danced over his head, flickering against his closed eyelids. He was lying on something cold—_

" _Open your eyes…"_

 _He groaned, struggling to obey. His eyelids felt like they were weighted down with lead. The voice—the sensation of cold—was fading away._

" _Seeker, it is time to wake up."_

 _Power. A warmth in his chest, the memory of lightning. A blue butterfly._

" _Seeker—."_

"Yu!"

The hand shaking him was warm and real, drawing him back into the waking world. Yu Narukami awoke with a gasp, staring up at the ceiling ahead of him. The bedroom was bright, lit by the overhead lights, but the world outside the window was dark. Rise was standing over him, still wearing stage make-up, a purse slung over her shoulder. There was a frown on her face, her brow furrowed in concern.

Yu blinked sleep out of his eyes. "Something wrong?" he asked, blearily.

"Are you alright?" Rise asked. "You were tossing and turning in your sleep. It was like you were having a nightmare."

A nightmare…

The girl's voice still echoed in his mind. Seeker.

"I'm fine," Yu mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Is the shoot over?"

Rise let out a tired sigh, dropping her purse to the ground. "I wish," she said. "We had to take a break because one of the back-up dancers threw a hissy fit. We're starting again tomorrow night." She yawned, covering her mouth with her wrist. "I'm tired. Give me a minute to get ready for bed…"

* * *

The sound of water running in the bathroom stopped, and a few moments later, Rise climbed into bed beside him, dressed in a light pink nightgown. She let out a contented sigh, dropping onto the pillows.

"So…" she said, turning over so that she was facing him. "Maeda-san, the receptionist, told me something interesting when I came in tonight."

"Oh?" Yu asked.

"Yep," Rise said, smiling. "She said that _you_ —," She jabbed a finger at his chest for emphasis, "—brought a girl over after work while I was out."

"Oh," said Yu. "It was Naoto."

"That's what I thought," said Rise, with a giggle. "How is Naoto-kun?"

"The same," said Yu. "We're going to be working together starting tomorrow. Maybe you should let Maeda-san know."

"Maybe…" She let out another soft yawn, closing her eyes. "Maybe next time you should invite Chie-chan and Yukiko-chan…" Rise mumbled, her voice already laced with sleep. "Give her something to really talk about…"

* * *

 ** _20XY/07/23 (Sun)_**

 ** _Morning_**

When Akira opened his eyes the next morning, he had to take a moment to process where he was. He listened to the sound of Sojiro moving in the café below, the conversations coming in from outside the window. He took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of coffee and curry, and felt like something inside him was coming awake. The past four months he had spent in that country town slipped away like the two months he had spent in juvie.

He was home.

Akira sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair. His other hand was already groping for the glasses beside him before he remembered that he no longer wore them. When he sat up and swung his legs over the side, he noticed that Morgana was sitting on the floor in front of him, tail flicking as he watched him.

"Looks like you're back, Akira," Morgana said.

The memory of conversation came back to him, of laughter and stories exchanged in the van on the long drive over. When he breathed in, he felt the thrill of the escape, of leaving home, slipping into the van, and disappearing under the cover of darkness.

He grinned.

"Yeah."

"Akira?" Sojiro called from downstairs. "You up? Hurry up and come down. One of your friends is here!"

"I wonder who it is," Morgana said, looking back over his shoulder at the stairs.

"We'll find out in a minute," said Akira, getting to his feet.

* * *

It was Ann. She was seated at the counter, stirring the cup of coffee that Sojiro had placed in front of her. She flashed him a smile as he came down the stairs. A second cup waited beside her, alongside a plate of curry.

"Hey," Akira said, taking the seat next to her.

"Hey," said Ann. "Did you sleep well?"

Akira took a moment to look around at the café. There were a couple of customers around, and while Sojiro appeared to be busy dealing with them, Akira could tell that he was listening. Probably not the best place to talk about the Velvet Room.

"Slept great," he said instead. "You?"

"Mm—more or less," said Ann, tugging at the end of one of her pigtails. "I keep thinking about tonight. It's—uh—kind of exciting, isn't it? Coming back as you-know-whats?"

"Definitely," Akira said.

Ann laughed. "I knew you'd be excited," she said, stirring her coffee. "So—um—sorry about yesterday. I know we all kind of went a little crazy."

Akira shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said.

"Good," Ann said. "I was worried you were a little upset. You were kind of quiet—well, you're always quiet, but…uh—you know, never mind."

He frowned down at his breakfast, wondering how to say what he was thinking. It was as if his whole life since Shido's false accusation been built around periods of feast or famine. Getting accused of assault and sent alone to Tokyo because his old school had expelled him and no other school but Shujin would have him? Famine. Becoming a Phantom Thief and all of the successful heists thereafter—definite feast. His arrest and that endless interrogation? Famine again.

Defeating Shido—feast. Jail—famine. Release—well, you got the picture.

He never realized how much he faded in those 'famine' periods until they were over.

He was just about to say something when the door to the shop opened and Futaba walked in. She blinked in surprise when she saw the two of them together.

"Whoops!" she said. "Am I interrupting something? I can go."

Akira opened his mouth to speak, but Ann beat him to it, turning red.

"N-No, it's fine!" she said. "Come on in."

"If you three are going to be loud, you should go upstairs," Sojiro said. "I have customers today."

"You sure?" Futaba asked. "Because I can totally make like a tree and—well, I can go home."

"Nah, come upstairs," Akira said. "I have video games."

"Ooh, retro video games!" Futaba said. "Nice!"

It was while they were upstairs, Ann was talking to him about an advertising photoshoot she had done the other day, and Futaba was sitting cross-legged in front of his TV playing an old-style fighting game, that Akira caught sight of the red banner. Sojiro had taken it down in his absence, but had left it folded up on the shelf. He reached for it, pulling it out, and it unfolded, revealing the Phantom Thief logo and the words 'Take Your Heart'.

"Oh, hey!" Ann said. "That brings back memories."

Akira stared down at the red fabric, thinking.

"Yeah," he said. "It does."

He left the banner draped over the couch while he went to find something he could use to hang it up.

* * *

 ** _Afternoon_**

"Alright," Akira said, standing in front of the banner. "Let's begin this meeting of the Phantom Thieves."

The others grinned, taking their seats around the folding table that had been placed in the attic room. Akira strode over to an open chair, pulling it out from the table. He rested his hand on the back of it but didn't sit down yet, looking around at the others. "The first order of business: exploring the remnants of the Metaverse."

Haru giggled. "This is so nostalgic," she said. "I find myself getting excited."

"Yeah," said Ryuji, "Bring it on!"

Akira dropped down into his seat, crossing his legs. He watched as Morgana leaped up onto the table, prowling the length of it.

"First things first," Morgana said, "Where were you when you entered the first remnant? Tell us everything."

"Well, we were lookin' into this request," Ryuji said, pulling up the Phan-Site on his phone. He placed it on the table in front of Akira and Morgana. Akira bent down to read it at the same time as Morgana did:

 **I can't go a single day without being harassed by these delinquents. They used to just call me names, but lately they've started threatening me. I'm seriously worried for my life. Phantom Thieves, if you're still there, I need help!**

"This seemed like a pretty big case, so we teamed up for it," Ryuji said. "Makoto managed to find their names."

"That part wasn't hard," Makoto said. "All we had to do was gather information at one of their favorite haunts—the Red Light District in Shinjuku."

Akira's brows rose. "You went to the Red Light District alone?" he asked.

Makoto gave him a self-satisfied smile. "Don't underestimate me," she said. "Anyway, once we had their names, it was easy for Futaba to pull up their school records."

"Hiroshi Nagano, Keita Nakahara, Kaoru Watabe, and Yuichi Iwakura," Futaba said. "They all go to different schools, but Iwakura goes to Shujin."

"Man, our school can never catch a break, can it?" Ryuji asked, sighing. "Anyway—Iwakura's a second year. Dude like _never_ comes to class. He's worse than me."

"But we set the perfect trap for him," said Futaba, breaking in.

"We knew that Iwakura-kun was probably going to come in for exams," Ann said. "So that's when we pounced."

"We tailed Iwakura back to his hideout," Ryuji said. "Man—that was scary. I thought he was going to catch us for sure."

"That was only because of your big mouth, Ryuji," Ann said, shooting him a glare.

"Defeat an evil god, still scared of a few delinquents," Futaba said, grinning. "Ryuji really can't win."

"Hey, you were scared too," Ryuji said.

"A-nyway," Futaba said, "once we figured out where they were hiding, we left. We were gonna call the rest of the group together, but on the way out, we saw something!"

"Something?" Akira asked.

"Hmm…it's kind of hard to explain," said Futaba. "It was like a tear in reality. You'll see later. That's how we got into the remnant."

"We brought everyone over the next day, but the entrance wasn't there," Ryuji said. "Turns out, we can only get in at night or whatever? I don't really understand how it works. Anyway, when we came back at night, the entrance was there. So we loaded up the Phan-Van—?"

"The what?" Akira asked, interrupting.

"No good?" Ryuji asked. "I've been trying to think of a cool name for the van. You know, like the Phantom-Mobile or something. Eh—it's a work in progress. Anyway, we loaded up all our gear in the van and drove straight in."

"And that's the story," Ann said. "There were Shadows, so we didn't go very far. Besides, we didn't want to do this without you."

"All of us agreed that we should wait for term to end, so that we could come get you," Yusuke said. "And now that we have, we need to know how you would like to proceed. Your decision, Akira?"

His decision…

Akira looked at all of the members of the Phantom Thieves, each one of them watching him with interest. He leaned back into his seat.

"That's easy," he said, grinning. "Let's go."

* * *

Yu sat behind the wheel of an unmarked police car, watching as Naoto walked out of the station doors, a briefcase in her hand. She stepped into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said, reaching for a seatbelt. "There was something I needed to look into."

"No problem," Yu said, adjusting the car's mirrors. "Where to?"

"An address in Minato," Naoto said, inputting the address into the car's navigation system. "We're going to be interviewing one of the victims of a sudden change in behavior. I'll tell you about it on the way."

Yu nodded, pulling out of the parking spot and following the directions from the navigator. Naoto set the briefcase down by her feet.

"The victim's name is Masaru Izawa," Naoto said. "He's around eight years old. According to his parents, before the incident, he was a good child. Quiet, but without any real behavioral issues. Until he suddenly snapped."

"What happened?" Yu asked, changing lanes.

"He attacked a classmate at school," Naoto said. "A girl teased him one day in class. Without any other provocation, Masaru-kun attacked her. He's been pulled out of school until further notice."

"Did something happen between Masaru-kun and this girl behind the scenes?" Yu asked.

"I considered that possibility," Naoto said. "But something about this still strikes me as odd. So, if you don't mind, you are going to interview Masaru-kun."

"Me?" Yu asked.

"You're better with children than I am," Naoto said. "I think this will be more productive. While you're doing that, I'll talk to Masaru-kun's parents. How does that sound?"

"You're the boss," Yu said, smiling. "Detective."

Naoto flushed. "I—that isn't—."

Yu chuckled, moving to exit the highway.

* * *

"So Masaru-kun has never shown any violent tendencies?" Naoto asked, sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Izawa around their kitchen table. Mrs. Izawa shook her head.

"Never," she said. "If he had, I would have said something."

"Masa's a sweet kid," said Mr. Izawa. "He'd never do anything like this."

"Could you tell me again about the time before the incident?" Naoto asked. "Was there anything strange about Masaru-kun's behavior?"

Yu let his eyes wander the kitchen as Masaru's parents started answering the question. It was a neat and orderly house, and the two of them seemed like attentive parents. Nothing struck him as strange. He inclined his head towards the kitchen door, clearing his throat.

"Is it alright if I talk with Masaru-kun?" he asked.

The parents exchanged glances, Mrs. Izawa looking worried. Mr. Izawa seemed flustered, but he nodded. "Sure, go ahead," he said. "He's in his room."

"Thank you," Yu said. "I'll be right back."

He stepped out of the kitchen, half-listening as Naoto steered the conversation back to the morning of the incident. Yu made his way down the hallway, stopping in front of a room with an open door. A young boy was seated on the floor, playing with crayons. He had a bruise across his face, like he had been struck. The boy looked up as Yu entered. Yu gave him a reassuring smile, crouching down in front of him and raising a hand in a wave.

"Hey there," Yu said, showing the boy his badge. "I'm Yu Narukami, a police officer. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"

The boy looked away, saying nothing. Yu looked down at the drawing the boy was making. It showed a house, engulfed in red. A smudge of black that might have been human-shaped lurked in one of the house's windows. Yu shivered.

"What are you drawing, Masaru-kun?" Yu asked.

Masaru said nothing, not looking at Yu. Yu waited a few moments longer before gesturing at the bruise on Masaru's face.

"How did you get that?" Yu asked. "Did you fall down?"

Masaru shook his head.

"Can you tell me about Sayo-chan?" Yu asked.

That question seemed to get to him. He opened his mouth. "I…hurt her…"

"You did?" Yu asked. "Why did you hurt Sayo-chan?"

"Because she made fun of me." Masaru scowled, throwing the crayons onto the ground roughly. "Everyone always makes fun of me!"

"Why do people make fun of you, Masaru-kun?" Yu asked.

"Because they don't like me," Masaru said. "They make fun of me. I got tired of it, so I hurt her. Now she won't make fun of me anymore. You're making fun of me too."

"I'm not," Yu said. "I'm just trying to help you, Masaru-kun."

"You're lying!" Masaru said, jumping up. "Everyone always lies! Everyone hates me!"

Yu's eyes widened. "I don't hate you, Masaru-kun," he said. "I'm just trying to understand—."

" _Stop lying!"_ Masaru said. "I know what you're thinking. I know—."

He raised his arm, the fingers of his hand clenched into a tight fist. Something caught the light as he moved, something that drew Yu's attention. It was like something shimmering was tied around the boy's arm. A…thread?

"Calm down," Yu said, starting to back up.

Masaru screamed in rage, launching himself at Yu. Yu's eyes widened, and he stumbled back, throwing up an arm to protect himself. He held an arm across Masaru's chest as the young boy thrashed and snarled, trying to bite him.

" _Masaru!"_ Mrs. Izawa yelled, bursting into the room.

"Masaru, stop this now!" shouted Mr. Izawa, wrapping an arm around Masaru's waist and hauling him bodily off of Yu. Yu sat there on the ground, watching with wide eyes as Mr. Izawa struggled with his son. Masaru thrashed with fearsome strength, clawing at his father's arms, trying to break free. Mrs. Izawa watched them fearfully, looking back at Yu.

"He's a good child," she said, almost desperate. "He's sick. I'm telling you, something happened to him. Please don't take him away."

Yu shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. "I believe you," he told her.

"Officer—Shirogane-san," Mr. Izawa said, grunting as he struggled to keep a hold of Masaru. "I think it's time you two left."

"I—I agree," said Naoto from where she stood by the door. "Officer Narukami?"

Yu nodded, following Naoto out. Naoto paused just outside the house's gate. The two of them stood in silence for a few moments, collecting their breaths.

"I detected no sign of anything amiss inside the house," Naoto said after a moment. "What is your take on the situation?"

His mind flashed back to that shimmering thread, to the dream he had had last night. Something was _wrong_ here.

"This isn't natural," Yu said. "Something happened to that boy."

"I…concur," Naoto said. "Now the question is…what now? Shall we return to the police station?"

Yu was about to agree when he felt his phone start to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, glancing down at the screen. Rise was calling. Rise hardly ever called when he was at work.

He showed the phone to Naoto, the two of them exchanging equally puzzled looks before Yu pressed it to his ear.

"Rise?" he asked.

"Y-Yu?" Rise asked. "Are you still with Naoto-kun?"

Yu glanced at Naoto. "Yes," he said. "Is something wrong?"

"You should…come down to the studio," Rise said. "Bring Naoto-kun, but…keep this off the record, okay?"

"Off the record?" Yu asked. "Why?"

"I—can't explain right now," Rise said. "Just come."

"Rise—," Yu began.

He heard a sound from somewhere in the background, something that sounded like muffled shouting.

"I have to go," Rise said into the phone. "Please hurry."

The line went dead.

* * *

 ** _Evening_**

"There's the entrance!" Ann said, as Makoto drove the van through Shibuya. Akira leaned forward to see better from the second row. He frowned. Looking at it now, he could see what the others meant when they said it wasn't obvious on a first glance.

In the shadowed backstreet, it just looked like an especially dark corner, a place where the air shimmered if he looked at it closely enough. But, seen through the lens of his third eye…

The transition into the third eye was jarring. It wasn't an ability Akira had used all that often since leaving Tokyo. As the van and the rest of his surroundings faded to black, the entrance became more prominent. The area behind it was a bright scarlet laced with black, its edges jagged like it had literally been torn out of the fabric of reality.

He felt a chill as Makoto drew the van to a stop, the car idling.

"Well, Akira?" she asked. "Should we go in?"

"Do it," Akira said.

"Understood."

The engine growled as the van shot forward, plunging straight through the gap.

* * *

 **Phantom Thief Group Chat – 07/23**

 **Ann:** Oh by the way, I've been meaning to ask! How is Boss's cake project going?

 **Yusuke:** Cake project?

 **Akira:**?

 **Ann:** Yeah! Boss was thinking about adding something to the menu and I suggested cake. You know, because it goes well with coffee?

 **Haru:** Oh, that makes sense!

 **Futaba:** Sojiro's really into it! He hasn't let me taste it yet though. He said Akira was gonna be the first.

 **Makoto:** Really? How was it, Akira?

 _[some time passes]_

 **Ann:** Akira?

 **Ryuji:** Hello? Earth to Akira. You there, bro?

 **Yusuke:** The log indicates that he is reading our messages.

 **Haru:** Akira-kun?

 **Ann:** Akira, you're starting to worry me a little. Say something!

 **Akira:** This is the second-greatest cake betrayal of my life.


	5. Revival

**IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PERSONAS:** I've been puzzling over what to do with the Protagonists' Personas since both Izanagi-no-Okami and Satanael are kind of incredibly powerful entities that make it difficult to write tense fight scenes (at least as long as they aren't fighting each other). I've decided to borrow something from the P4 spin-off games. In both Arena and Dancing All Night, Yu primarily uses Izanagi, with Izanagi-no-Okami coming out for Instant Kills and the final stage of P4:DAN.

That means you're going to see Arsene and Izanagi for the most part, with their Ultimate Forms coming out when a little more power is needed. I think that makes sense, because in their respective games (not counting the New Game+ incarnations), both of those Ultimate Personas are summoned under very special circumstances, and draw power from the Protagonists' Social Links and willpowers. That also means that I'm using the story versions of these Personas and not the NG+ versions with different skill sets (although like Arena, I will be buffing Izanagi and Arsene). Sorry if this bothers some of you, though.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/23 (Sun)**_

 _ **Evening**_

"Yu! Naoto-kun!"

Rise was waiting just inside the doors when Yu and Naoto pulled up in front of the building that housed Takura Productions recording studio. She ran over to Yu almost as soon as he stepped out of the car, grabbing his hands in both of hers. Yu looked her over, concerned. She looked pale but not hurt, although her hands were cold. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but Inoue emerged from the building before he could, walking over to Yu. Outwardly, Rise's manager looked calm and composed, but his brow was creased with worry.

"Narukami-san, Shirogane-san, thank you for coming on such short notice," he said. "You should come inside."

Rise's grip tightened on Yu's hand. She bit her lip, tugging on his hand as she followed Inoue. Yu exchanged a concerned glance with Naoto, the two of them following as they stepped into the building.

* * *

The rift opened up into a street swathed in red and black, the perfect mirror to the city they had just left. Joker glanced around to see that the people with him were dressed in their thief clothes again, familiar masks on their faces. He looked down at his hands, now covered in familiar red gloves, stark against the black of his coat.

Queen drew the van to a stop, parking it in the shadow of a building. Joker pulled the door open, leaping out and going into a smooth roll. He straightened up, grinning and brushing off his coat. His body felt lighter and more agile, the way it always had during heists. Behind him, Skull leaped out as well, running to the back of the van. Joker ran to meet him, the two of them pulling the van's backdoors open. Inside the trunk were two black duffel bags.

"Here," Skull said, handing him one of them.

Joker took the bag, dropping it onto the ground. He unzipped it, finding it full of weapons and guns.

"Panther," Ryuji said, pulling a whip out of the first bag and tossing it to her.

Panther snatched the whip out of the air by the coils, grinning.

"Queen," Joker said, pulling out a pair of metal knuckles from his bag. He handed them to her.

"Thank you, Joker," Queen said, strapping them to her sides.

"Noir, here you go!" said Skull, pulling a large, double-bladed axe out of the bag along with his own club. Noir giggled, taking the axe from him with both hands.

"Fox," Joker said, taking a sheathed katana from the bag.

"My thanks," said Fox, accepting the katana from him. Joker frowned at the unfamiliar sheath.

"Is that a new katana?" he asked.

"Oh, did I not tell you?" Fox asked, his eyes widening slightly from behind his kitsune mask. "I've been diversifying my interests. At Makoto's suggestion, I've joined an iaido school."

"You should see him in his uniform," Skull said, coming up to Joker with a dagger in his hand. "He looks way too natural in it." He held the knife out to Joker hilt-first. Joker took it, testing the knife's weight in his hand. "Everyone got their gear?"

"Not everyone," said Joker, reaching into the bag and drawing out a scimitar. He looked around.

Mona leaped out of the back of the van, still in cat form. He looked embarrassed as he slunk over towards the others. Oracle let out a gasp of surprise.

"Mona!" she said. "You're still kitty-fied!"

"Unfortunately," Mona said, sitting down in front of the bags. "The Mona that could summon a Persona disappeared after Yaldabaoth fell. It looks like I'm just a regular cat for now."

He looked straight at Joker as he said the words, and Joker heard the emphasis on 'for now'. He slipped the scimitar back into the bag, zipping it up. "We'll keep these here for you," he said, putting the bag in the back of the van.

"Trickster," a voice said from behind him. "A word before you go."

Joker froze, as did everyone else. He turned around to see a young girl with white hair standing in a pool of blue light, as calm and composed as if she had come in with them. The others let out gasps of surprise.

"Lavenza!" Panther said.

"Holy shit, you're back!" said Skull.

"Indeed," said Lavenza, smiling. "It is good to see you all." To Joker, she added, "If you have time, I'd like you to accompany me to the Velvet Room. You'll find something there that may interest you."

Joker nodded, following her.

Lavenza led him away from the others, towards a blue door. Unlike during previous heists, the Velvet Room door no longer appeared as a prison cell. Instead, it was a tall metal door, decorated with shifting designs that glowed brightly. As they walked, Joker glanced down at her.

"Can you do anything for Mona?" he asked.

"I will confer with my master and see what can be done," Lavenza promised. "We may be able to restore him to some amount of power. For now, however," She held the door open for him, gesturing pointedly at the space beyond. Joker stepped through it.

On the other side was the clock tower space that Joker had found himself in during his dream last night. It was a wide, cavernous room, with shadows concealing the edges of it. There was no sign of Margaret this time. Instead, hovering in the air in front of Igor's desk, bathed in scarlet light, was a familiar figure.

"Arsene," Joker said, surprised.

"Have I startled you, Trickster?" the Persona asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Are you surprised to see me in this form? I told you we would meet again."

"I—," Joker thought back to that moment over Tokyo, to the enormous figure that Arsene had become. "I thought—."

"That power is yours," Arsene said. "It is a part of you as I am. It exists within me. When you have need of it, I don't doubt that it will awaken again. For now, it appears we must continue our journey together."

A flash of light consumed Arsene, coalescing into a white mask. Joker snatched it out of the air as it floated towards him, holding it in his hand. He could feel Arsene's power rising up from inside of it, and beneath that, another power, a pulsing strength. Satanael and Arsene—one and the same.

"You are not the first bearer of the Wild Card whose Persona has evolved in such a way," Igor said, smiling at Joker from the other side of his desk. "I would caution you against reaching for that power needlessly. In such a confined space, the damage such power may inflict on the cognitive realm is not negligible. There's also, of course, the question of what such power might do to your own mind, without the support of so many wills."

The memory of that last attack washed over him, the power contained in that strike. A shiver ran down his spine that was equal parts thrilling and frightening. He nodded at Igor, closing his hand around the mask.

"I understand," he said.

* * *

"Chiaki Takayama," Inoue said, when Yu, Naoto and Rise were safely inside the studio away from prying eyes. "Have you heard of her? She went by the stage name Chi-Chi. She's an older idol—she was really popular when Risette was just getting started."

"I think I remember the name," Yu said. "What about her?"

"We were doing a collaboration," Rise said, leaning against the wall. "She's been trying to break into more serious music, which is what I've been wanting to do. She was going to sing back-up for one of my new songs."

"I'm assuming we were called here because something happened with Takayama-san?" Naoto asked.

Rise nodded, her hands clasped behind her back. She frowned at Naoto. "This can't come out to the press, alright? It would ruin Chiaki-chan's reputation."

"We'll do our best," Naoto said. "But we need to know exactly what happened."

"Chiaki-chan…well…she was acting strange all night," Rise said. "At first it was nothing. She was just being cold to me. But then she started making snide comments—and then she started shouting, and well…"

Rise trailed off, looking down at the ground. Yu frowned at her in concern.

"Rise?" she asked.

"It was like she went berserk," Rise said, "She jumped at me in the middle of a shoot, saying that I 'stole everything from her'. The back-up dancers had to pull her off me. It was just like what happened with Hitani-san."

Naoto's eyes widened. "Are you saying it was _exactly_ like what happened with Hitani?" she asked.

"Yes," said Rise, meeting Naoto's eyes. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Yu turned towards Inoue before Naoto could speak. "Can we meet with Takayama-san?" he asked.

"Give me a moment," Inoue said. "I'll see how she's doing."

He bowed, leaving Rise, Naoto and Yu alone in the lobby. After that, there wasn't much to do but wait. Naoto took a seat in one of the lobby's plush chairs, cupping her chin in her hand. The look on her face was one of intense concentration, so Yu left her be, pacing the length of the lobby as he tried to gather his own thoughts.

The lobby maintained a professional design, but the building housed several other studios, and the walls were decorated with posters and promotional material. He stopped in front of one poster, idly studying it. It depicted a young girl with exotic foreign features, her blond hair tied back in two pigtails.

Rise approached him while he was lost in thought, slipping her arm into his. Yu jumped.

"Pretty, isn't she?" Rise asked. "She's a new model—Ann Takamaki. I think she's half-American or something like that."

"I—uh—I was just staring into space," Yu said.

Rise hummed. "Sure you were," she said, a teasing note in her voice. "Is it the pigtails, _Senpai?_ Maybe I should wear my hair like that again~"

Naoto cleared her throat, a flush on her face. Rise giggled.

"Sorry, Naoto-kun," she said. "Just trying to lighten the mood." The smile on her face faded, replaced by a frown. "Actually, one of the dancers said something interesting while I was waiting for you. Apparently, Chiaki-chan had a lover who was arrested recently. You don't think…"

Yu's eyes widened. "Hitani?" he asked.

Naoto perked up. "If Takeyama and Hitani were in a relationship…" Her eyes widened. "That—."

The elevator door opened with a hiss, cutting her off. Inoue stepped out of the elevator, walking over to the three of them.

"You can come talk to her now," he said.

Yu followed Naoto and Rise into the elevator, glancing at the detective. Naoto's expression was troubled and thoughtful, and she said very little as Inoue led them down a long hallway into a spare conference room. Rise waited by the door, her expression worried. Yu gave her a reassuring smile, stepping in after Naoto.

Chiaki Takayama sat at the conference room's table, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She looked angry but composed, her hair and clothes ruffled from the altercation. One of her fingernails was chipped. She looked up at Yu as he entered, and the sheer amount of anger in her eyes startled him, making him shrink back. She turned back to Inoue.

"I don't have anything to say to Kujikawa's _boyfriend_ ," she said, making the word sound like a curse.

"Chiaki-chan, be reasonable," Inoue said. "We're trying to help you."

"I don't care!" Chiaki said. "I'm not talking to him. She's already taken everything from me! She's taken my career, my Yoshi, my _future_ —I won't talk."

Inoue looked distressed. Yu took a step forward. "Takayama-san…"

Naoto raised a hand, stopping him. "Would you talk to me?" she asked Chiaki.

Chiaki said nothing, pressing her lips tightly together. She grabbed onto the table in a way that told Yu she wouldn't be comfortable talking to anyone. Naoto looked back at him.

"Yu," she said, "Please wait outside."

Yu hesitated, looking around the room. "I should be in here," he said.

"In the case of official police business, yes, I agree with you," Naoto said, the corner of her lip quirking up in a smile. "However, Rise has made it clear that this is not to be considered an official police matter. I assure you, I'm quite capable of handling myself. So?"

Yu looked from Naoto to Chiaki and back. He didn't like it, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice.

"I'll be outside," he told Naoto, leaving the room.

* * *

"Fox, it's up to you!" Queen said, touching her palm to Fox's in one quick movement.

"Understood!" Fox said, leaping to the fore. Power flared up around him as he reached for his mask. "Take this, Kamu Susano-o!"

Kamu Susano-o appeared in the air above his head, wreathed in blue light. It charged forward, sword slicing straight through one of the attacking shadows. The shadow let out a screeching cry as the sword tore through it, vanishing in a whorl of shadow. It left two other, smaller shadows gasping for life beside it.

"Joker!" Oracle said, her voice ringing in his ear. "Finish them off!"

"Got it!" Joker said, running towards them. He raised his hand to his face, switching his mask with a thought. "Arsene! _Maeigaon!_ "

Arsene appeared in the air between him and the shadows, darkness engulfing them. Joker saw a flash of red before the shadows screamed, vanishing into the ether.

"And that's that," Queen said, coming to a stop beside him.

"Hmm…" said Noir, resting the shaft of her axe across her shoulders. "It was over too soon."

Joker removed his hand from his face. He was breathing hard from the fight, but the exertion was pleasant. It was good to be doing this again, fighting Shadows and moving through the other world. He'd almost forgotten how much he missed this.

"Oracle," he said, looking up at the sky. "How much further?"

Prometheus circled the area above their heads. He heard Oracle's voice in his ear. "Calculating…" she said. "It looks like we're about 75% through. And— _oh_."

The sound of surprise made the group pause, looking up at Prometheus. From where he had been hiding in the back line, Mona stepped forward, looking up at the sky.

"Oh?" he repeated.

"Four Shadows," Oracle said, sounding excited. "Dead ahead. I think those might be our delinquents."

"You think it still works the same way?" Skull asked, grinning at Joker.

"I don't see why not," Fox said. "This area is clearly connected to their Shadows. If we defeat them, they will cease their violent actions."

"We hope, at least," said Queen. "Although it's worth a try."

"Yeah, let's get them!" said Panther.

"Be on your guard, everyone," Mona said. "I don't know what it is about this place, but something about this rubs me the wrong way."

"No sweat," said Skull. "We fought a _god,_ remember? We'll be fine."

"Oh, now Skull has confidence," said Oracle from above them.

"H-Hey, just—just shut up and guide us in!" Skull yelled.

"Guiding," said Oracle. "Whenever you're ready, Joker."

Joker nodded, waving everyone forward.

The four delinquents were hiding out in a representation of a warehouse, their hideout in the real world. Like in Mementos, their Shadows were dressed in ordinary clothes, with bright orange eyes. They didn't move as the group of Phantom Thieves entered the warehouse, each of them standing completely still and staring straight ahead.

Skull drew to a stop, frowning at them. "Uh…" he said. "This strike anyone else as weird, or just me?"

"It's odd to see Shadows standing so still," Noir said.

"I wonder what they're doing," said Fox.

"What should we do, Joker?" Panther asked, turning towards him.

"Oracle," Joker said, "Any readings?"

"They don't seem very strong," Oracle said. "You could probably take them."

"Should we just go for it?" Skull asked, looking back at Joker.

Joker frowned, thinking. "Let's go," he said. "But get ready to back out if anything seems off."

"You got it," said Skull, charging in.

As soon as they approached the Shadows, things changed. Darkness shrouded them, the forms of the delinquents writhing as each of them transformed into a monster. Joker threw himself into the fight, falling back into the familiar rhythm of attacking, defending, and summoning his Persona.

It wasn't a hard fight. In fact, it was almost disappointingly easy. The Shadows didn't seem invested in the fight, making attacks that didn't fully connect, or half-hearted attempts to dodge. None of them spoke. Joker, who was used to the endless chatter of Shadows while fighting them, found that more unnerving than anything. The last enemy fell to a well-placed strike of his dagger, but he didn't feel any of the usual sense of accomplishment after defeating them. Instead, as he stared at the empty warehouse floor, he felt a growing sense of unease.

The Shadows morphed back into their human forms, four unconscious delinquents lying on the ground at their feet. As he watched, each of them began to glow with a white light, vanishing. He looked around and saw that his teammates were studying the scene with the same sense of unease and disappointment.

"Did we…get them?" Skull asked.

"I'm…not sure," said Queen.

"I'm not sensing any more Shadows," Oracle said. "I think we won."

"Well, that was…vaguely disappointing," said Fox. "I'd hoped that our return as the Phantom Thieves would be more glorious."

"Well, at least we won," Panther said, letting out a tired sigh. "Things will be okay now, won't they?"

"Yeah, probably," said Skull, sounding a little sad. "C'mon. It ain't that late. If we hurry, we can still go out for ramen."

"I will need a ride back to my dorm," Fox said. "I can't afford both ramen and the train fare."

"We gotcha, buddy," Skull said, tapping Fox on the shoulder. "At least the Shadows here dropped some cash."

"Uh, J-Joker—," Oracle said suddenly, sounding nervous.

Joker froze, looking up. "Yes?" he asked.

"Something's happening!" she said. "Readings are off the chart—what's—no!"

"Oracle?" Noir asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Run!" Oracle said. "Get out of there, now!"

Joker tensed, looking behind him. The empty space of the warehouse had become a pool of red, glowing with dark power. As he watched, four forms rose out of that darkness, orange eyes shining.

"What the hell?!" Skull shouted. "Didn't we beat those guys?!"

"Joker!" Mona shouted. "Come on!"

The four shadows turned to look at them, roaring as one. A wave of dark power pulsed outward from them, knocking them all back. Joker struggled to keep his balance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Noir stumble, saw Skull reach for her before she could fall.

"What is this?" Fox asked. "How can they be coming back?"

"We need to leave!" Queen yelled. _"Now!"_

Joker looked back at the Shadows, torn. He could feel power bubbling up inside of him, begging to be released, but he remembered Igor's warning.

"Joker!" Mona yelled.

He grit his teeth, looking back at his friends. Joker clenched his hands into fists. "Everybody run!" he said. "Now!"

The group turned, sprinting out of the warehouse as behind them, the darkness grew, becoming a cloud that engulfed the room. At the last second, Joker looked back, watching as a wave of power punched straight through the roof of the warehouse, bricks and plaster littering the street. That same wave knocked out the windows, spraying shattered glass at their retreating forms. There was something…

On impulse, he activated his third eye.

Threads. Shimmering threads reaching out from the sky, stabbing into the warehouse and into the center of that glowing red mass of power. Four of them.

Panther doubled back, grabbing onto his arm.

"Joker, come on!" she said.

Joker shook himself out of his trance, his normal vision returning. He nodded, running with her back to the van.

* * *

It was a while before Naoto left the makeshift interrogation room. Yu spent the time waiting with Rise, filling her in on everything that had happened with Masaru. He kept the sight of the thread around Masaru's arm to himself for now, not sure whether he had truly seen it or whether he had just imagined it. Throughout his recounting, Rise's expression grew more and more worried. When the door to the conference room opened, both of them looked up, turning to face Naoto expectantly.

The detective's expression was troubled, a frown on her face. The door to the conference room closed behind her.

"Anything?" Yu asked.

Naoto shook her head. "She's quite uncooperative," she said. "And hostile towards Rise. Her behavior fits the pattern of the other cases, but I didn't glean much information, other than confirmation that she and Hitani were in a relationship. I did receive the footage of Takayama-san's outburst from the cameramen. I'll be reviewing that tonight, but we should leave. Inoue-san said that the shoot has been postponed for now."

Rise looked worried at the news, hugging her arms close to herself. Yu stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll drive you home," he said.

He dropped Naoto off at her hotel first, then drove to Rise's apartment building. When he pulled up to the front of the building and stopped, Rise gave him an odd look.

"Yu?"

"There's something I want to check," he told her. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Rise frowned, but nodded, getting out of the car. "Hurry back," she said, closing the door behind her. Yu waited until he was sure she was inside the building before driving off, taking the familiar route back to his own apartment. During the drive, he thought about the dream he had had, about the sight of the thread around the boy's arm. He thought about the red sky on Christmas and other, older memories.

He thought about Inaba and Izanami.

His apartment was dark, and, compared to Rise's, relatively cramped. He didn't stay long, making his way over to his bedroom. The words from the dream were still ringing in his head.

 _Open your eyes…_

And then another word. _Seeker._

The Seeker of Truth.

He drew in a breath and pulled open his bedside drawer, taking out a simple plastic case. Yu opened it, the dim light reflecting against a pair of gray glasses.

He slipped the case into his pocket, heading back out the door.


	6. Contact

**A/N:** I promise that we're eventually going to get the entire P4 and P5 teams into the story, so bear with me if it seems like the meeting is coming slowly. We're not even a quarter of the way through yet!

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/23 (Sun)**_

 _ **Evening**_

The van idled in the space just outside of the entrance to the remnant. The group of Phantom Thieves sat inside, catching their breaths. For a while, the only sound was the rumble of the van's engine before Ryuji straightened up, looking around at the others. "Man, what the hell was that?" he asked. "That's never happened before."

"I have no idea," Morgana said, standing on the van's backseat. "Did anyone notice anything?"

Ann shook her head. "I was too busy running," she said. "Makoto? Futaba?"

"All I know is that their energy signatures came back, stronger than ever," Futaba said. "It was like they were revived, like with Samarecarm."

"Except that spell only brings one back from a state of incapacitation," Yusuke said. "If what you're saying is correct, then their Shadows had already been driven away from the remnant. I doubt a spell like that would be able to revive them."

"In that case…" Makoto said, resting a finger on her lip, "wouldn't it be more like what happened with us? When we were saved from erasure and brought to the Velvet Room?"

"W-Wait, you're saying someone stopped them from leaving the remnant and brought them back?" Ryuji asked. " _Who?"_

"It almost seems like in this case, the question would be _what_ ," Haru said.

The group fell silent, absorbing this.

Ann shivered. "Alright," she said. "I'm creeped out. Anyone else?"

"Same," Ryuji said.

"An entity powerful enough to control Shadows," Morgana said. "I don't think we're dealing with an ordinary culprit here. It's possible that this…thing might even be responsible for the remnants, the same way the Holy Grail was in control of Mementos."

"You think we'll be dealing with something on that level?" Makoto asked, alarmed.

"I don't know," Morgana said. "It's best to be prepared."

Akira frowned, thinking back to what he had seen. He rested his elbows on his knees, thinking. Yusuke looked over at him.

"Akira?" he asked.

"Thinking," Akira said. "I saw something, before we left."

"That's right, you did stop," Ann said. "Well? What was it?"

"Threads."

"Threads?" Futaba asked.

"Like from fabric?" asked Haru.

Akira nodded. "I didn't get to see what they were connected to," he said.

The sound of distant sirens gave them pause, making them turn their attention to the windows. Makoto frowned from behind the wheel. "We're suspicious just hanging out here," she said. "Let's head home and continue this tomorrow."

* * *

When Yu opened his eyes, he was standing in a large room.

It was big enough that shadows darkened the edges, but the familiar blue color that permeated the tiles and the walls could hardly be mistaken as anything else. Ahead of him was a window, the world on the other side dark and smoky. A clock face was set into the window, facing outwards. The clock's secondhand wasn't moving.

"So you've returned," a voice said.

Yu turned his head to the side to see a woman sitting primly in an armchair next to the desk, her legs crossed and her silver hair pulled back away from her face. His eyes swept over to the chair on the desk's other side. It was occupied by a young girl, so small that her feet didn't touch the floor. Like the first woman, she had white hair and gold eyes, although her hair was so long that it nearly reached her thighs. She wore a headband with a silver butterfly wing on each side.

Between the two of them sat Igor.

Igor didn't speak, although he did grin at Yu, his fingers laced together. Yu stared at him for a long time, silent. He'd thought about entering the Velvet Room again many times over the past year, but now that he was here, he didn't know where to start.

"I couldn't find you last year," Yu said. He didn't mean for it to come out as accusatory, but the implication was there, simmering beneath the surface of his words. Igor's smile never wavered.

"Yes," Igor said. "I did hear that you searched for this place. Unfortunately, I was occupied at the time."

"Occupied?" Yu asked.

"You'll find the answers soon enough," Igor said with a wave of his hand. "You always do."

Yu wasn't sure he liked the way Igor said the words. "Something is happening in Tokyo," he said.

"A dark power," Igor said. "One whose truth you will inevitably discover. Although perhaps another will break its chains."

"Another?"

"Idle musings," said Igor, spreading his hands out across his desk. "You are a contracted guest. As such, this Velvet Room is at your disposal. You will find all your available services restored to you. I believe you're already familiar with Margaret."

"A pleasure to see you again," Margaret said, inclining her head towards Yu. "I don't believe you've met my youngest sister."

The little girl slid out of her chair, offering Yu an identical bow. "I am Lavenza," she said. "I have other duties at this time, but I'll be happy to assist you if my sister is not available."

Yu nodded at her, turning towards Igor. "I have more questions," he began.

"I'm certain," said Igor, sounding amused. "I trust you will find your answers. You remember how this works."

"I do," Yu said.

"Then we will meet again," said Igor.

"It's time," Lavenza said. "Return to your rest."

* * *

The sound of a ringing phone woke him, drawing him out of the Velvet Room and that dream. Yu sat up, one hand groping for the phone beside the bed as he looked around. Rise rolled over onto her side at the noise, letting out an annoyed groan. She pulled the blanket over her head, but didn't get up. Yu checked the name on the caller ID and pressed the button to answer, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Naoto…" he groaned, taking a second to check the clock beside the bed. "…it's two in the morning."

Naoto sounded surprised. "Oh—my apologies. I didn't realize how late it had gotten. At any rate, I have a lead."

"A lead?" Yu asked.

"Meet me at Yongen-jaya Station for breakfast," Naoto said, sounding pleased with herself. "Shall we say around eight? I'll fill you in then."

"Mm."

The line went dead. Yu placed the phone back on the nightstand, letting his arm fall back over his eyes.

A dark power, and Yongen-jaya Station. Interesting things to think about in the morning.

For now, he turned back onto his side, falling asleep.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/24 (Mon)**_

 _ **Morning**_

Naoto did not look like someone who had pulled a late night. Instead, she looked sharp and excited, full of the energy of the chase. Which…was good for her, Yu decided, as he parked the car and met her outside the station. He would rather be full of the energy of coffee, but to each their own.

"Good morning," Naoto said, turning towards him as he approached her. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

Yu didn't trust himself to speak, so instead he nodded. Naoto reached into her briefcase, drawing out a file folder. She handed it to him and he opened it. It displayed the arrest record and mug shots of a sullen, dark-haired boy. Yu read the name at the top of the file—Akira Kurusu.

"I did some research on the Phantom Thief case," she said. "Did you know that on December 25th, Christmas Day, a boy named Akira Kurusu confessed to his involvement in the Phantom Thieves? Kurusu had a previous assault charge on his record, so he was transferred to a juvenile detention facility."

"He got out," Yu commented, flipping through the files.

"Indeed," said Naoto. "His assault charge was determined to be a false accusation, created by Masayoshi Shido. Without that baseline, and given his young age, otherwise clean record, and key testimony against Shido, the case against him fell apart. What's especially interesting is that Kurusu was apparently arrested over a month before he turned himself in, but somehow, was reported as committing _suicide_ in custody."

"He looks surprisingly not dead," Yu said.

"Agreed. I suspect foul play. But I'm not here to answer for the Tokyo Police. I'm here to solve a case. Look at Kurusu's residence at the time of his arrest."

Yu looked, frowning. It was an address in Yongen-jaya. "Is this a café?" he asked.

"According to Kurusu's school records, he no longer attends school in Tokyo," Naoto said. "But given present circumstances, shall we see if he's in town?"

* * *

Leblanc Coffee and Curry was a small café tucked into a nearly forgotten corner of Yongen-jaya. Yu didn't know if he would have found it had he not been expressly searching for it. There was only one other customer when he entered, seated at a booth and doing the crossword over a cup of coffee. The proprietor, a tall, glasses-wearing man in a pink dress shirt and black apron, looked over at them as they entered.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Is Akira Kurusu here?" Naoto asked, casually polite.

The man's eyes narrowed, his mouth pulling down in a frown. His entire demeanor changed, going from welcoming to something on the edge of hostile.

"Who's asking?" he asked.

If Naoto noticed his change in mood—and she _had_ to have noticed it—she didn't say anything. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her suit jacket, drawing out a business card.

"Naoto Shirogane," she said. "I'm a consulting detective. I want to ask Kurusu-kun about a case I'm currently working on."

"A case?" the man asked, shaking his head. "Akira hasn't been in Tokyo for _months_. He can't possibly be involved in whatever you're working on. Aren't you people done harassing him yet?"

"We just want to talk," Naoto said.

"And maybe have some coffee," Yu added. Naoto glanced back at him, and he shrugged his shoulders, keeping a deadpan expression on his face. The proprietor sighed, although he was already reaching for a cup.

"Look, you're wasting your time," he began. "The kid's not—."

A black cat raced down a nearby set of stairs, bounding across the shop floor. The conversation stopped, the three of them turning to watch it. A dark-haired boy followed it, dressed in casual clothes. He stopped when he saw Yu and Naoto, his eyes moving from the two of them to the man behind the counter. The movement was manufactured to look casual—Yu wondered if he had been listening in.

"Something wrong, Sojiro?" he asked.

Sojiro let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of trouble?" he asked, but he didn't wait for an answer, starting to prepare coffee. The boy walked up to the counter, pausing for a moment to glance at Naoto's business card. He took a seat, facing Yu and Naoto and glancing pointedly at the counter seats across from him.

Naoto's surprise lasted for only a moment before she stepped forward, taking the offered seat. Yu took the seat beside her. The cat, Yu noticed, leaped up onto the seat beside the boy. It sat there, licking its paw, watching them with too-blue eyes.

"You want to talk to me?" the boy asked.

"Akira Kurusu-kun, I presume?" Naoto asked. "I'm Naoto Shirogane."

"I gathered," the boy said. "I don't know your friend." His eyes flicked towards Yu and Yu noted the guarded way that Akira held himself, the way that his words and expression gave nothing away. There was something almost feline about him.

Akira Kurusu might have been innocent, Yu thought, but he certainly _acted_ like a hardened criminal.

Yu reached into his pocket, drawing out his badge and ID. He showed both to Akira who looked over them, not registering the slightest hint of surprise. Yu gave him a reassuring smile, but Akira barely seemed to notice.

"I'm her police escort," he said, by way of explanation. Akira nodded.

"Can I help you with something, Detective?"

"I was hoping you could tell me a bit about your involvement with the Phantom Thieves," Naoto said.

"Not much to say," said Akira. "The Phantom Thieves haven't been active since last year."

"But you must have heard about the increasing number of psychotic breakdowns recently," Naoto said. "Do you know anything about that?"

"This is only my second day in town," Akira said. "I haven't had time to hear anything."

"I see," Naoto said. "If you don't mind my asking, Kurusu-kun, why _are_ you back in Tokyo?"

Akira shrugged. "Summer vacation."

"Interesting choice for summer vacation, considering everything that's happened to you here," Naoto said.

"I like the city," Akira said. "That isn't a crime."

"I wasn't asking you about a crime," Naoto said.

"Could've fooled me," said Akira. He looked back over the counter. "No coffee for me, Boss. I'm heading out."

He started to get up. Yu followed before he realized what he was doing, halfway to his feet. Akira stopped moving, looking from Naoto to Yu.

"Am I being detained, Officer?" he asked.

Yu held Akira's gaze for a long moment before settling back into his seat. "No," he said. "This is just a friendly conversation."

"Good," Akira said. "I have a date. Excuse me."

He walked past the two of them, heading out the door. The cat leaped off the chair, following him. Sojiro returned a few moments later with two cups of coffee, a scowl on his face as he set them down in front of them.

"I'm only going to say this once," he said. "That boy's had enough trouble. Finish your coffee and get out."

* * *

"Well…that was useless," Yu said a few moments later, as he and Naoto left the coffee shop. The taste of coffee—and it _was_ very good coffee—still lingered on his tongue.

"Perhaps," Naoto said, pausing just outside the shop. She looked around. Yu followed her gaze, taking in the street. It was shaping up to be a hot summer day. Naoto's eyes lingered on a blue van parked not far from Leblanc. "And perhaps not."

* * *

 _ **Daytime**_

"Wait!" Makoto said, interrupting Akira's story. "Naoto _Shirogane_? Are you sure?"

The group of Phantom Thieves were assembled in Futaba's room, perched on anything that could conceivably serve as a seat. Futaba sat with her back to the group, crouched in her computer chair. The sound of rapid-fire typing filled the room. Akira had sent them a hasty text before heading downstairs, telling them not to come to Leblanc. He looked at Makoto. "You know her?"

Makoto shook her head. "Not personally," she said. "But I know _of_ her. She used to be known as the Detective Prince. She's the person everyone compared Akechi to, when he was…acting as a detective. Some people have speculated that Akechi based his methods and style off of her."

"Wait, Detective _Prince_?" Ryuji asked. "Thought you said she was a girl."

"Well, that wasn't common knowledge," Makoto said. "In the past, Naoto Shirogane disguised herself as a boy. She worked with my father on a case at around that time. My father said that Naoto was one of the sharpest people he had ever met. She must have been…thirteen, fourteen. She wasn't even in high school yet."

"Whoa, she sounds amazing," Ann said. "And this is the person that came to interrogate you, Akira?"

"Mm," Akira said, nodding. "She wanted to know about the Phantom Thieves."

Yusuke exhaled. "I assume she believes us involved in the current difficulties," he said.

"Seemed like it," said Akira.

The sound of typing suddenly stopped, Futaba letting out a shout of exultation. "Aha!" she said. "Got it! Officer Yu Narukami!"

Conversation stilled, all of them turning to watch her expectantly. Futaba hunched closer to her screen, grinning eagerly. "Let's see…rookie cop with the Criminal Investigation Bureau, top of his class at the academy, on the fast track to making detective, everyone loves him…he's basically the squeakiest of squeaky clean."

"Ugh," Ryuji said. "Sounds like a total nerd."

"Wait, I know that name," said Ann, frowning in thought. "Yu Narukami…" Her eyes widened. "Isn't he Risette's boyfriend?"

"Right on the money!" said Futaba. "At least according to the latest gossip sources."

"A perfect record _and_ he's dating an idol?" Ryuji asked. "No fair. Some guys have all the luck."

"Other than diehard Risette fans screaming at him for 'corrupting their idol' or whatever, I can't find any dirt on him," Futaba said, scrolling through the information on her screen. "He's basically the police department's golden boy right now. Even his _relationship_ is pretty spotless—they've been dating for five years, no affairs, nothing. It looks like he's—oh."

She fell silent, the sound of typing resuming. The others leaned closer, waiting, but Futaba didn't make a move to speak. Makoto cleared her throat.

"Oh?" she asked.

"In his second year of high school, he transferred to Yasogami High in Inaba," Futaba said. "Apparently, his parents went abroad."

"And this is important how?" Ryuji asked. "I don't even know where Inaba _is_!"

"It's a small coal-mining town in the Yamanashi Prefecture," Haru said. "It's near Okina City." The others turned to look at her, blinking. Haru smiled, petting Morgana, who had settled in her lap. "Okumura Foods has purchased crops from farms in that area before."

"Yeah, well, get this," Futaba said. "In 2011, Yu Narukami moves to Inaba. Also in 2011, a serial killer goes on a killing spree _in_ Inaba. And guess who gets brought in for questioning about the killings?"

"Oh, I'll guess," said Yusuke. He frowned, thinking. "Was it perhaps a coal-miner enraged over the collapse of the fossil fuel industry?"

"No, dude, it was obviously Narukami!" said Ryuji.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "Ah, I see. That would make sense. Forgive me."

"Narukami was _questioned_ about the murders, but he was eventually released," said Futaba. "And since he was never _charged_ with anything, that incident stayed off his squeaky clean record. But the detective who brought him in and then released him was Ryotaro Dojima. And—get this, Dojima is Narukami's mother's maiden name. Narukami's _guardian_ during his year in Inaba was…Ryotaro Dojima!"

"He was questioned and released by his own uncle?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, alright, I'm calling BS," said Ryuji.

"It's definitely suspicious," said Morgana, leaping from Haru's lap onto the bed. "We should stay on our guard. And that means no more meeting at Leblanc. Whatever their motives, Shirogane and Narukami know Akira lives there. The café will probably be watched. We need a new hideout."

"In that case," Haru said, "how about my house?"

"Your house?" Makoto asked.

Haru nodded. "Things have settled down since my father's death. I think I can have guests again. There's plenty of room and we have security, so it's a lot harder to get into than Leblanc."

"Whoa, but isn't your house like, an actual mansion or something?" Ryuji asked. "I don't know if we're fancy enough to just walk in there."

Haru giggled. "It'll be fine," she said. "You'll be there as my guests. Mona-chan knows where it is. I'll make sure to let the staff know."

"No objections?" Morgana asked, looking around at the group. "Then it's settled. Our next meeting will be at Haru's house. Next, we need to discuss the Shadows. Akira, you were saying something interesting last night."

Akira nodded. "Threads."

"Does that sound familiar?" Morgana asked, looking around at the others. "We've done something like this before."

"It sounds like the cords we had to cut when we were fighting against the Holy Grail," Ann said. "So…maybe we should try cutting them?"

"That does seem like the logical next step," said Yusuke.

"Right now, it looks like only Akira can see them," Morgana said. "And they seem to be giving the Shadows power. We don't even know if it will work."

The group paused, thinking. Makoto looked up. "In that case, maybe we should start with something easier. Right now, we're fighting four people at once, but if we had a single enemy…"

"Anything else on the Phan-Site?" Akira asked.

"Looking," said Futaba, turning back to her computer. The red and black background of the Phan-Site filled her screen. "Hmm…this one seems easy. It's a request from the older sister of a girl in elementary school. Apparently, her sister was attacked by a boy named Masaru Izawa."

"Attacked?" Ann asked, surprised.

"Mm," said Futaba. "According to the request, Masaru just snapped at her one day, and hasn't been coming to school since. He was a nice kid before that. The requester wants us to change his heart so that her sister feels safer going to school."

"How old is this child?" Yusuke asked.

"Says he's in the second grade," said Futaba.

"So he's what, like seven or eight?" Ryuji asked. "This'll be a cakewalk."

"Don't get overconfident," Morgana warned.

"We'll be careful," Makoto promised. "Futaba, can you get us Masaru-kun's home address?"

"Already on it," said Futaba, grinning. "We could even go tonight."

"Not tonight," said Morgana. "There's something I want to check."

The group turned to look at him.

"Something you want to check?" Ann asked.

Morgana nodded. "This thing with the detective is bothering me," he said. "Futaba, when you finish, do you mind coming with me for a minute? The rest of you can come too."

* * *

Morgana stopped on the street leading up to Leblanc, a safe distance away from the blue van. The others stopped when he did, frowning in confusion.

"Uh…Morgana," Ryuji said, "this is just Leblanc."

"It's not just Leblanc," Morgana said, turning around to face them. "Futaba, is there any way for someone to tamper with the van?"

"Tamper?" Futaba asked. "Oh, you mean like bug? Yeah, it'd be easy. You could stick a GPS tracker on it and…oh."

"After Akira left, I came back to keep an eye on our new friends," Morgana said. "And I'm pretty sure I saw that detective standing next to our van."

"That means they probably have our license plate information," Makoto said, "That's problematic. If they put out the right request, traffic police can track us and report sightings."

"It would have to be an electronic request, right?" Futaba asked. "I can deal with that."

"Can you also check to see if the van's been bugged?" Morgana asked.

"Can do," said Futaba. She looked around at the assembled group. "Hmm…Inari, you're helping me."

"I am?" Yusuke asked. "Why me?"

"Because you have the best eye," Futaba said. "And because I'll feed you later. Do we have a deal?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can help," Yusuke said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Help me look for anything out of place," Futaba said. "And no talking; they might be transmitting audio."

"My lips are sealed," said Yusuke, nodding. The two of them walked towards the van in silence. Akira turned to look at the remaining members.

"Well, if we aren't going anywhere tonight, I guess I'll head out to the arcade," Ryuji said. "Anyone wanna come with?"

"Not so fast," said Makoto. "You should be doing summer homework."

"What?" Ryuji asked. "But summer just started!"

"And it'll be over before you know it," Makoto said. "I thought you wanted me to help you get into college."

"Yeah, but—," Ryuji scowled, rubbing at the back of his head. "Ugh, fine! We can do summer homework."

"Hmm…that might not be such a bad idea," Ann said. "It looks like it's going to be a busy summer so…do you want to work together, Akira?"

"Sure," Akira said, nodding.

"Then we'll meet again tomorrow," Haru said. "I'll head home and get everything ready. I'll text you if the new hideout works."

* * *

 **Phantom Thieves Group Chat – 07/24**

 **Ryuji:** Man, summer homework suuuucks!

 **Ann:** Yeah. Makoto and Haru are soooo lucky they don't have any.

 **Makoto:** College is more challenging than high school, you know?

 **Ryuji:** Ugh, for real?

 **Futaba:** Just do it, Ryuji! Go go go!

 **Ryuji:** That's easy for a first-year genius to say…

 **Yusuke:** Study hard now, and we will reap the rewards later.

 **Ryuji:** Dude, why do you even have to go to college? You're basically some big name artist already, right?

 **Ryuji:** Hey, Akira, do you know what you want to go to college for?

 **Akira:** I've been considering political science.

 **Ryuji:** …

 **Ryuji:** Anyone else feel a chill, or just me?


	7. Recall

**A/N:** I'm not going to attempt to replicate the way the P4 characters texted each other in the game. Just assume that they're either still texting the same way and I've translated it for sanity's sake, or that their styles have changed as they've aged and phones have changed.

Also, friendly reminder that as of the last few Persona 4 games, Kanji and Yusuke have the same English voice actor. Enjoy.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/24 (Mon)**_

 _ **Evening**_

The door to the café opened, admitting Yusuke and Futaba. Akira looked up from the booth he was sitting in with Ann, the pen he was spinning between his fingers coming to a stop. The booth was littered with scraps of paper and failed origami cranes—at some point, studying and doing summer homework had become more of an idea than a reality. He eyed the two of them as they approached the booth. Yusuke looked faintly pleased with himself. Futaba was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well?" Akira asked.

"Mission accomplished," said Futaba, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small device, setting it on the countertop. "One GPS tracker, neutralized. It's still transmitting, but its range isn't _that_ accurate. This should still register as the same location."

"I must say, that detective hid it quite well," Yusuke said, smiling. "It must have taken us an hour to find it, and more to make sure there were no more."

"The van is 100% clean," Futaba said. "I inspected it myself."

"Nice work!" Ann said. "Come sit down. We're pretty much done studying."

In all honesty, they'd probably stopped studying over an hour ago, but Akira wasn't going to correct her. He shifted over so that Futaba could come sit next to him. Morgana crossed the table, picking his way across the debris to stand in front of the bug.

"Still, this proves that that detective is watching us," he said. "We'll have to be extra careful from now on."

"When are we not?" Ann asked, laughing.

"Would you really like me to answer that?" asked Yusuke.

Futaba frowned in thought, picking up the bug. "We still need to decide what to do with this," she said. "The only thing it's transmitting is location, so deactivating it would be easy. Should I go do that?"

Akira frowned in thought, tugging at a lock of his hair. "Don't. Leave it on."

The others looked up, startled. Akira saw understanding spread slowly across the group, devious smiles appearing on their faces.

" _Oh,"_ said Ann, "I get it."

"I see," said Morgana, nodding.

"If we disable the tracker, that detective will know that the…'bug' has been found," Yusuke said. "Under that circumstance, she would most likely try to plant another one."

"Exactly," said Akira, nodding.

"But if we let the bug keep transmitting," Morgana said, "we can give Shirogane whatever information we want."

"Alright, leave it to me!" Futaba said, snatching up the bug. "I'm going to send her all over town!"

"Make sure you keep our movements plausible," Morgana said. "We don't want her to get too suspicious."

"Don't worry," Futaba said. "I've got this. One summer of fun and adventure, coming right up!"

"I don't mean to be rude…" Yusuke said. "But you did mention food."

"Oh," said Futaba. "Right. Sojiro—two curries, please! Extra large!"

"Make that four," Ann said, smiling. "If that's alright, Boss."

"Wait, what about me?" Morgana asked, looking around at the others.

From behind the counter, Sojiro let out a long-suffering sigh, wiping his hands on his apron and heading back into the kitchen towards the curry pot.

* * *

It was late by the time Yu made his way back to the police station, heading down the winding path to the detention cells. He made his way along the length of the hallway, stopping outside Yoshio Hitani's. The cell's occupant looked up at him, and Yu was once again struck by the sheer force of anger and hate in Hitani's eyes. And something else this time, something surprising.

Recognition. And fear.

"What do you want?" Hitani asked, shrinking back. "What do you want with me?"

Yu didn't answer, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the plastic case from his apartment, opening it. Carefully, he lifted the glasses from the lining, pulling them open and slipping them on over his eyes.

Through the glass, he saw something different. Hitani was still standing in the cell, staring at him with that expression of anger and fear, but there was something else. Something in the shadows behind him, something dark and shadowy that wove its way around him, wrapping threads around his wrists, ankles, and neck. Something sinister.

The threads snaked their way up his limbs, winding together into a thin, shimmering cord just above Hitani's head. The cord wove through the air, vanishing into oblivion. Yu looked from left to right, then reached for his keys, opening the cell door.

Hitani took another step back, eyes wide. "Get back," he said. "Get back! This is—this is brutality! I'll sue!"

Yu didn't speak, his eyes on the threads. He kept walking, moving slowly, ready to run if something strange happened. He came to a stop in front of Hitani and raised his hand. Hitani flinched, shrinking back and raising his arms as if expecting a physical blow.

Instead of striking him, Yu reached for the space just over his head, closing his hand around the thread.

It felt odd, like touching the cards that held his Personas. He could feel power there, but not much else. It was like touching a live wire, like holding lightning.

The light reflected off of his glasses as he closed his hand into a fist, snapping the thread between his fingers.

Hitani's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped forward, falling onto the floor as if the string was the only thing holding him up. In the distance, _something_ screamed.

The thread zipped out of Yu's hand as if pulled by an outside force, the world around Yu warping into a twisted, red and black version of the prison cell. Yu's eyes widened, and he had a moment to register the feeling of a presence, large, malevolent, and angry. A blue card spun in the air just in front of him, as if drawn by his thoughts, and Yu reached for it.

An instant before he could touch it, the strange world faded, and he was standing in the prison cell again.

From the floor in front of him, Hitani groaned, starting to sit up. He rubbed at his head, looking around him in confusion. "What is this…?" he asked. "Where am I? Who…?" His eyes searched the room, focusing on Yu. "Narukami? What…?"

Yu's eyes widened. He crouched down, helping Hitani to his feet.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/25 (Tue)**_

 _ **Morning**_

"Another world?" Naoto asked.

Yu nodded, seated across from her at Rise's kitchen table. Rise set a cup of coffee in front of Naoto, taking the empty seat next to Yu.

"I only saw it for a moment," Yu said.

"And after this…vision faded, you say Hitani was normal?" asked Naoto.

Yu nodded again. "He was confused. He didn't know where he was. But he wasn't violent. He also didn't remember attacking Rise."

"What does it mean?" Rise asked, stirring her own cup of coffee.

"I don't know," Yu admitted.

Naoto frowned in thought, propping her elbows up onto the table and resting her chin on her hands. "It's clear that the thread was manipulating him somehow, altering his behavior," she said. "In the absence of that connection, Hitani was freed of the influence of his captor." She looked up at Yu. "Do you think the same thing could apply to the other victims?"

"I don't see why not," Yu said.

Rise frowned, taking her spoon out of her cup and setting it aside. She didn't pick up her coffee. "You said you felt a presence," she said.

Yu nodded. "Something watching me. I didn't get a good feel for what it was, but it…felt angry."

"Likely, this entity was angry at your separating it from Hitani," Naoto said. "It's aware of you and your abilities now."

"Wait, then don't you think it might be dangerous to keep confronting it?" Rise asked, pouting at Yu. "This isn't the sort of thing you should do alone!"

"I agree," said Naoto. "I realize this may be inconvenient for many involved, but shouldn't we call the others? If we _are_ going to fight against a supernatural threat, it would make more sense to do so in number."

"I've been thinking about that," said Yu, looking around at the others. "I think we should do it. I'll take care of contacting them."

"They'll need a place to stay," said Rise, looking around. "I guess we could have one more person stay here. If they don't mind the couch, that is."

"Kanji will likely stay with me," said Naoto. "That leaves two others."

"They can use my apartment," said Yu. "It isn't like I need it right now."

"Then it's settled," said Rise, smiling. "I can't wait to see everyone!"

"We don't know if they'll be able to come yet," Yu pointed out.

"That's true," said Naoto, smiling. "Although I would be very surprised if they didn't agree." The smile vanished from her face, her expression growing grave again. "At any rate, there is one more thing I would like to discuss with you. I reviewed the video from the incident with Chiaki Takayama."

"Find anything interesting?" Yu asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have," said Naoto. She pulled out her phone, scrolling to a video and placing it on the table between them. "Take note of this moment, while the back-up dancers are pulling Takayama-san away. Notice anything about what she's saying?"

She tapped on the video, starting the playback. Almost immediately, a high-pitched, shrill voice sounded from the phone, screaming invective at Rise.

"—won't forgive you!" the voice screamed. "You stole my place! You stole our place!"

Naoto tapped on the video again and the footage stopped. She looked around at Yu and Rise, waiting for comment. When none of them spoke, she went on. "My place," Naoto said. "Our place. At first, I thought that she was talking about the word 'place' in the figurative sense, but the phrase does lend itself to another interpretation. Is it possible that Takayama-san could be speaking about a literal location? A place special to both her and Hitani?"

"I didn't 'steal' anything like that from her, though," Rise said. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"It does merit some thought," said Naoto. She looked up at Yu. "Since Hitani-san appears to have regained his senses, would it be possible to ask him if he knows anything?"

"Not right now," said Yu. "He's being evaluated by a mental health expert."

"I see…" Naoto said. "That's inconvenient. I suppose we'll have to make do." Her phone beeped, a message alert. Naoto scooped it up off the table, glancing down at it. "Ah. It looks like Akira Kurusu is on the move. From the looks of it, he's heading towards…Dome Town?" She smiled. "I suppose he _is_ a teenager after all. Shall we head out as well, Yu?"

"Yeah," said Yu, downing the rest of his coffee and standing up. "Let's go."

* * *

 _ **Daytime**_

The van rolled through the open gates of the Okumura residence, stopping at the end of the driveway. From inside, Akira watched as the metal gate slid shut behind them, cutting them off from the street.

"Whoa," Ryuji said, looking at the house from his seat next to Akira. "Haru lives _here_?"

"It's certainly impressive," Yusuke said. "It is easy to forget Haru's wealth at times."

"Come on," Makoto said, opening the driver's side door. "Let's not keep Haru waiting."

"Better be on your best behavior, Ryuji," said Ann with a smile, following Makoto out of the car.

"Yeah, yeah," said Ryuji, sliding out after her. He rubbed at the back of his head with his hand. "I feel like I'm not dressed well enough for this."

"You don't own any clothes that would fit in here, Ryuji," said Futaba, scrambling out of the back of the van. Ryuji shot her a look.

"Thanks, Futaba."

"Don't let it get to you," said Akira, clapping Ryuji on the shoulder as he walked past.

Haru stood just outside the front doors, waiting for them. She smiled as they approached, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "I'm glad you could all make it," she said. "I thought we could meet in the parlor."

"Parlor?" said Ryuji. "You mean like a salon or something?"

"It's a room of the house set aside to receive guests," said Morgana, winding his way past the rest of them as he walked up to Haru. "Ryuji, you really have a lot to learn about luxury."

"I've had food and tea set out," Haru said. "The staff will leave us alone for the meeting, so we can use the room however we like."

"Food _and_ tea?" Yusuke asked, surprised. "Such decadence."

"Um—Yusuke, that's not—," Makoto began. When Yusuke turned to look at her, she shook her head. "Never mind. Just…make sure you're getting enough to eat, alright?"

"I assure you, my nutritional intake is quite adequate," said Yusuke, as the seven of them followed Haru into the parlor.

It was a small, intimate room, with seven chairs set around a polished wooden table. A large window looked out onto the garden, letting in the sunlight. The walls were lined with art, paintings evoking a European style. As Haru had promised, the table was laden with food and tea, including a selection of small cakes.

"This is very nice, Haru," Makoto said.

"The artistry in this room is exquisite," said Yusuke.

"I'm glad you like it," Haru said. To Futaba, she added, "The WiFi password should be written on the notepad on the table."

"You know me," said Futaba, grinning. She pulled up one of the chairs and sat cross-legged on it, booting up her laptop.

"Doesn't this just make you feel like a real Phantom Thief?" Ann asked. She put on a faux British accent, giggling. "Lounging in the lap of luxury."

"We _are_ real Phantom Thieves," said Morgana, stepping towards the table. "Isn't that right, Akira?"

Akira walked towards the table, surveying the space. The others stopped, turning to look at him. Ann and Ryuji had already taken seats, helping themselves to food, while Makoto stood by her chair and Yusuke paced the length of the room, admiring the art.

He placed his hand on the table to start the meeting, feeling the polished wooden surface beneath his fingertips. Akira smirked, looking around at the others.

"That's right," he said. "Let's begin."

* * *

The police car was picking its way through noontime traffic when Yu got the call from Yosuke. Naoto looked up from her seat as the call was routed through the car's hands-free system. Yu glanced at the console and reached over, pressing the 'Accept' button.

"How's it going, partner?" he asked.

"Hey." Yosuke's voice rang out from the car speakers, sounding vaguely harassed. "I just heard back from Chie and Yukiko. It's the busy season for the Amagi Inn, but Yukiko thinks she can get someone to cover her starting this weekend. Chie said she basically had to drop your name and Dojima-san gave her the time off, so she'll be coming. I'll be there too. Dad's a little annoyed, but I told him I'd check out some of the shops in Tokyo, see what new stuff we can try for Junes. If all goes well, we're all planning on coming down Saturday. I can't get a hold of Kanji, though. Have you heard _anything_ from him, partner? I'm getting a little worried here."

As if on cue, Naoto's phone rang. She frowned down at it, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Yo, where in Tokyo are you?" Kanji asked. "What station's nearest?"

"K-Kanji?!" Naoto asked, surprised. "Where are you?"

"I think we found him," Yu said, into the car's speakers. "I'm going to call you back."

He hung up on Yosuke as Naoto cupped the phone closer to her ear, turning her head to the side to hear better.

"I'm at Shinjuku Station," Kanji said. "Tokyo's pretty huge, ain't it? People are lookin' at me like I'm some kind of country hick. _What's the matter, never seen a guy eat a crepe before?!"_

"Shinju—Kanji, we're on our way," said Naoto. "Just—stay where you are and don't…don't yell at strangers." She covered the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand, glancing at Yu. "He's at Shinjuku Station."

"I heard," said Yu, already moving towards an exit. "Already on it."

* * *

"Y'know, Ma always worried I'd end up in the back of a police car someday," said Kanji, crawling into the back of the car with a heavy suitcase and something large and round wrapped up in brown paper.

"Watch your head," Yu said casually, watching him from the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, yeah," said Kanji, shutting the door. "Good to see you again, Senpai."

"You don't have to call me 'Senpai' anymore," said Yu, driving off. "We've been graduated for a while."

"Yeah, but," Kanji shrugged, "you'll always be Senpai to me."

"Kanji, it's—great to see you," said Naoto, from the front seat. "But how did you get here so quickly?"

"Huh?" Kanji asked, blinking at her. "Well, Senpai got the word out this mornin', didn't he? Figured I could make the early morning train. These are for you, Naoto, from Ma." Kanji handed her a box of wrapped sweets from the Inaba shopping district. "She still worries you don't eat enough."

"I will have to thank her," Naoto said, smiling as she took the package.

"Nothing for me?" Yu teased.

"Nah, I've got stuff for you and Rise," said Kanji. "They're in the bag, though, didn't want 'em to get lost." He leaned back in his seat, looking out the window at the skyline. "Man, what a place, huh? Look at all those people. Where're they all going in such a hurry?"

"Most likely, they're heading back to their jobs," said Naoto. "The lunch break is almost over."

"Guy could really get lost in a place like this," said Kanji.

"Indeed," said Naoto. "Which is why I'm a little surprised that you're here so quickly. I noticed you brought your shield."

"What, this?" asked Kanji, placing a hand on the package beside him. "Well, Senpai mentioned trouble, so I figured I'd come prepared. Brought my glasses too, and yours, Naoto. Couldn't find your gun, though."

"I believe I left it at my family home," said Naoto, "Still, being armed seems like a good idea. Maybe I should look into finding a good airsoft shop."

"I'm not sure I should be listening to the conversation," Yu said.

"C'mon, Senpai," said Kanji, "You tellin' me you don't have a sword tucked away somewhere?"

Yu kept his expression deadpan as he spoke, weaving his way through traffic. "For display purposes only."

Kanji snorted. "Yeah, right, and I'm the Emperor."

Yu chuckled. Kanji blinked at him.

"What?" Kanji asked.

"Nothing," Yu said. "Never mind."

* * *

 **Investigation Team Group Chat – 07/25**

 **Chie:** What is this?

 **Yosuke:** Group chat, duh.

 **Rise:** Hello, everyone!(≧◡≦)

 **Kanji:** Why do we need a group chat?

 **Yosuke:** Well, if we're going to be running around Tokyo, we need a good way to keep in touch with each other.

 **Naoto:** That's…a good idea, Yosuke.

 **Yosuke:** No need to sound surprised.

 **Yukiko:** Is our icon…a TV?

 **Yosuke:** It was the only thing I could think of, okay?!

 **Chie:** Ooh, maybe our icon should be Teddie!

 **Yosuke:** Well, if you've got a good picture of him, be my guest.

 **Yosuke:** No! Yukiko! Not that! Change it back!

 **Yukiko:** hahahahaha it looks so funny!

 **Rise:** ʕ ᵔᴥᵔ ʔ

 **Yosuke:** What are you, in middle school?

 **Kanji:** …How do you make those faces?

 **Yu:** (￣.￣;)


	8. Deduction

**A/N:** Thanks for all the support! It's been a while since I've played _P4,_ so I'm glad you think the cast is still in character! Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/25 (Tue)**_

 _ **Evening**_

The entrance to the remnant was hidden in the side of a building a few blocks away from Masaru Izawa's house, only visible as a shimmering patch of shadow. The Phantom Thieves' van sailed straight through the gap, pulling into a narrow alleyway on the other side. Just like with the delinquents, the alley on the other side of the entrance might have been a normal street anywhere in the city, if not for the red tint to the air and the threads of red and black that painted the sky.

The eight of them filed out of the van, quickly arming themselves with weapons and guns while Oracle spread her hands, a glowing console coming to life at her fingertips.

"Huh," she said, "That's weird."

"What's weird?" Panther asked, looking back at her.

"The security level is higher than normal," she said.

"What, so…the kid's on his guard or something?" asked Skull.

"Somehow, that doesn't seem right," said Queen, frowning.

"Queen has a point," said Mona, padding over to Oracle. He looked up at the other Phantom Thieves. "Remember, this isn't an ordinary Palace. We don't know what formed it, other than that it's tied to Masaru. Be on your guard."

"We'll just have to sneak in like always, right?" asked Noir, adjusting her hat.

"This should be no problem," said Fox.

"Alright," Oracle said. She moved her hands, her console changing to display a map of the area. "We've got a few blocks to cover before we get to Masaru's house. I'll support you from the air, Joker."

Joker nodded, tugging at his gloves.

"Let's go," he said, waving at the others to follow him.

* * *

Before entering the remnant, Joker and the others had driven past Masaru's house to get the lay of the land. From the outside, the house had looked ordinary for this part of Tokyo, unremarkable. A simple family home. From inside the remnant, however, the house took on a different appearance. Joker wasn't sure if it was because of the color of the sky, or if it was the Shadows they had had to defeat to get past the front gate, but the house definitely had a more sinister air about it than the houses nearby.

Prometheus circled overhead, a flash of shimmering light.

"I'm sensing a strong presence inside," Oracle said. "That's definitely him. Get ready."

"We're ready," Joker said, looking around at the others for confirmation. No one spoke up to contradict him, looks of determination on all of their faces. They entered the house.

It was dark inside, the only light coming from the eerie red cast that defined everything in the remnant. Joker looked around, tense, but the immediate area was empty of Shadows. Behind him, he heard Queen let out a soft sound that might have been a whimper.

"It's…a little creepy in here, isn't it?" she asked.

"Ooh," said Noir, cheerfully. "I wonder if there are any ghosts."

"D-Don't—don't say things like that," said Queen, inching closer to the rest of the group.

"Oh, right, I forgot you were scared of stuff like that," said Skull. The look Queen shot him from beneath her mask was murderous. Skull took a step back. "Uh—did—did I say scared? I meant—never mind."

Fox crept ahead, one hand on the hilt of his katana as he crouched beside the entrance to a hallway. He peered into the dark for a few moments before looking back at them. "I don't see anything moving, Joker."

Joker frowned, coming to a crouch next to Fox. He looked into the hallway as well. It was dark, but quiet, with no sign of Shadows or anything that he could see. He leaned back and out of sight of anyone who might have been standing in the hall.

"Maybe he's…hiding?" Panther suggested.

"He might be in his room," Oracle said. "That's where I go when I want to hide somewhere."

"So we've gotta check each one?" asked Skull, starting to move down the hallway. "Man, what a pain. Hey, d'you think this is going to be like last time, with the Shadows that don't do any—!"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by an otherworldly shriek. A spear burst through the wall next to him, splintering the wood. Skull shouted a curse and leaped out of the way, the spear burying itself in the opposite wall. Splinters flew outward from the crack, raining down in the hallway.

"Skull!" Queen shouted, running forward into the hallway.

A wave of dark power rushed out of the hole in the wall, stopping her. From the other side of the wave, Skull got to his feet, gritting his teeth. A boy lifted himself out of a steadily growing pool of shadow, taking hold of the spear and pulling it from the wall. He was exceedingly pale, his dark hair and orange eyes contrasting eerily with the white of his skin. His clothes were black, robes that seemed to be made out of shadow themselves. The cut of his hair made him look like a twisted version of the Persona Setanta, but like this, he bore only a passing resemblance to Masaru Izawa.

Joker had a second to activate his third eye, to see the strands of thread that wrapped around Masaru's throat, ankles, and wrists, binding him like shackles. The thread sailed up into the ether, a thickly-woven chain. Then, Masaru was taking the spear in both hands and charging at him, and he had to stop thinking, leaping out of the way.

"No, you don't!" Queen shouted as the boy tried to run past her, hooking one arm around his spear. She lowered her center of gravity, using her weight and the spear's leverage to lift the boy off his feet. She let out a shout of effort as she pivoted, aiming to slam him against the wall, but the threads went taut and both Masaru and the spear slid out of her grasp, Masaru hovering several inches off of the wooden floor like a puppet on otherworldly strings.

Shadows rose up around Queen. Joker had an instant to see the sharp points that were rising out of the darkness, an array of spears all leveled at her.

"Queen!" Joker shouted, a warning.

Queen's eyes widened as she noticed the trap. She turned, looking for a place to run, but froze in place when she realized that the spears were all around her. They charged at her and she tensed, bracing herself.

There was a loud clamor as the spears met resistance. Queen looked around to see Skull, Fox, and Noir all standing around her, their backs towards her and their weapons in their hands. Noir had caught two of the spears on the blade and shaft of her axe—Skull and Fox had each used their weapons to knock the spears offline and send them crashing against the ground.

"Queen, are you alright?" Fox asked, holding his katana in one hand and his sheath in the other.

"I—yes," said Queen. "Thank you."

"Watch yourselves!" said Noir. "He's attacking again!"

They leaped out of the way and scattered as Masaru raised his hand, shadows filling the space where they had been standing. As Noir jumped, she turned in the air, dropping her axe to the ground and pulling up her grenade launcher. She pulled the trigger, the blast echoing in the hallway and blowing out the walls to either side.

Masaru sailed out of the cloud of dust that followed, apparently unscathed, mouth open in a scream. Panther ran up to Joker, holding her whip in both hands.

"We'll open up a path, Joker!" she said. "You need to cut the thread!"

Fox whipped back towards them, extending his hand.

"Kamu Susano-o!"he called. _"Masukukaja!"_

A green wind rose up around them, and Joker felt his body grow lighter. He nodded in thanks as Fox jumped nimbly out of the way of another attack. Panther grit her teeth, raising a hand to her mask. He saw warmth and light flare up around her as the figure of a woman appeared in the air.

"Dance, Hecate!" she said.

Flames burned through the hallway, whipping around the Phantom Thieves and leaving them unscathed, but plunging straight into the core of the shadows that surrounded Masaru. The darkness parted, and in that parting, Joker saw his opening. He ran forward, leaping off of the hallway wall to avoid an attack, and activated his third eye.

The thread hung in front of him, shimmering and shining. Masaru's shadow turned towards him, realizing his intentions. He opened his mouth, and Joker saw something dark appear in the air behind him, something formless. Before he could do anything, Skull leaped into the fray, his club catching the Shadow in the side of his face.

The boy's mouth shut, a gasp leaving him. Shadows rose up from the ground as Masaru snarled in rage, wrapping around Skull.

"Joker!" Skull yelled. "Hurry!"

Joker didn't hesitate. His knife cut through the air, slicing through the thread. He saw it snap.

Masaru writhed in pain, letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Joker saw the cut end of the thread retract, saw a power leave him.

The darkness that surrounded Masaru and the others vanished, leaving the boy crouched on the ground, gasping for breath. Joker landed on the ground, turning to face him. As he watched, the dark garb that surrounded Masaru melted away, leaving him kneeling there in a white shirt and shorts.

"Is it over?" Panther asked, turning to look at Masaru.

"Looks like," said Mona, walking out of the space where he had been hiding. Oracle followed him. The two of them approached Masaru's Shadow. The boy sat back on his heels, looking around at them with wide orange eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice oddly distorted. "Who are you?"

Queen approached, crouching down in front of Masaru so that she was at eye level with him. "Do you know what happened?" she asked.

"No," Masaru said. "I don't—no, wait—." His eyes widened. "S-Sayo! I hurt Sayo, but I didn't mean to. It made me do it!"

The Phantom Thieves traded looks.

"It?" Joker asked.

"What made you hurt Sayo-chan, Masaru-kun?" Noir asked, her voice gentle.

Masaru shook his head, light shining around him. Already, he was beginning to grow transparent. "I didn't mean to," he said. "It made me do it. That place…it was that place…"

The light consumed him, the last echoes of his voice disappearing as he faded away. His vanishing was accompanied by a tremor that tore through the earth. The group went tense, looking around. Oracle called up her console again.

"This remnant is collapsing," she said. "Everyone out! Hurry! We can talk later!"

Joker nodded, leading the others out the door.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Rise asked, laughing. "Yosuke did _that_? Well—I'm not really surprised."

"Oh, I remember you telling me about this," said Naoto, reaching forward for another piece of sushi. "If I remember correctly, Chie was quite upset."

"Oh, yeah, Chie tried to book him," said Kanji, grinning. "It was awesome." He reached for the plate of tempura, holding it out to Naoto. "Want more tempura, Naoto?"

"Ah—no, that's quite alright, Kanji, thank you," said Naoto. "Please help yourself."

"Aww, how sweet," said Rise with a giggle. "You two are _so_ sweet." She leaned closer to Yu, leaning her weight on his arm. "Oh _Yu,_ would you like me to get you anything? Something to drink, maybe?"

"Uh, no thank you," said Yu, glancing at her.

Rise pouted, holding onto his arm. "You're no fun," she said. A telltale flush rode high on her cheeks. Yu nudged the container of sake just slightly out of her reach when she wasn't looking.

The four of them were seated around a table at a sushi restaurant, in a more private room where Rise could hide from the paparazzi. So far, they had been eating and drinking, catching up on stories about their lives in Tokyo and Inaba.

"Oh, all this talk is making me miss Inaba," said Rise. "We should visit, Yu!"

"Seriously, man," said Kanji. "Dojima-san talks about you all the time. And Nanako-chan always says she wants you to visit. You know she's starting middle school already? Where did the time go, huh?"

Yu felt a pang. The last time he had visited Inaba had been last year, before entering the police academy. Things had been busy in Tokyo, and after everything that had happened last Christmas, he hadn't wanted to leave. He knew he missed it, but hearing stories about all of these people, he was surprised at how much.

"I'll try to visit soon," he promised. "Maybe after this case."

"That would be ideal," said Naoto. "So, to that end, shall we go back to business?" She set down her chopsticks carefully, looking around at the others. Rise perked up, sitting up straight, and Kanji stopped eating, turning to watch her. "Yu and I spent the day revisiting Chiaki Takayama's steps, but we were unable to find anything conclusive."

Yu nodded. "Takayama didn't start acting odd until the second night of filming, right, Rise?" he asked.

"That's right," said Rise. "She was fine on the first night, the night after Hitani-san was arrested."

"According to her manager, Takayama-san went straight home after the shoot," said Naoto. "The next day, she made all of her appointments with her stylist and voice coach. Both of those people said that she was cold, slightly distraught, but otherwise normal. Takayama-san left her voice coach at 4:00 PM."

"Call time was at 5:30," said Rise. "I remember Chiaki-chan was late."

Naoto nodded. "There is that," she said. "Takayama-san was unaccounted for in the span of time between 4:00 and roughly 5:45. According to her manager, she had a habit of arriving late. That was nothing unusual."

"But if something did happen to her," Yu said, "It probably happened around then."

Kanji frowned, taking that in. "That's the crazy chick that attacked you, isn't it, Rise?" he asked. "What happened to her?"

"She's been taken off the video," said Rise. "We already have her vocals recorded, so we're still going to credit her in the album, but we're going to have someone else sing her part for the music video."

"Since no one's pressing charges, we can't take any legal action against Takayama-san," Naoto said. "And since she hasn't left her apartment, getting close enough to her to break the thread would be difficult. But now that we know how to free people from this psychosis, it was my hope that we could assist someone else tomorrow."

"Masaru?" Yu asked, glancing at Naoto.

Naoto nodded. "I've already contacted his parents," she said. "They're understandably concerned, but they're willing to let us talk to him again."

"Well, if Naoto-kun is going to go to work with Yu, then Kanji-kun is coming to work with _me,_ " said Rise.

Kanji blinked. "What?" he asked. "Why me?"

"Because rehearsals with the new back-up singer start tomorrow," said Rise, "and I'd feel more comfortablewith someone around. Don't worry, Kanji-kun. You'll enjoy it, trust me."

"Well, whatever," said Kanji, shrugging. "So long as I don't have to get in front of a camera."

Rise giggled. "I don't think you have to worry about that," she said.

The shrill sound of a phone rang out, cutting through the conversation. Naoto jumped, reaching for her pocket. "My apologies," she said, taking out her phone. She turned away from the table, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

Yu watched Naoto's face as she took the call, taking note of her change in expression. "Yes," she said, speaking into the mouthpiece. "Thank you for letting me know. Please let me know tomorrow if his condition has improved."

She hung up, her expression troubled as she looked back at the table. Kanji frowned at her in concern.

"Somethin' wrong, Naoto?" he asked.

"That was Mariko Izawa," said Naoto. "Masaru-kun's mother. She says that she found Masaru collapsed in his bedroom shortly after dinner. When he came to, he was weak, but almost normal. Mr. Izawa is working late tonight. The two of them are the only ones at home. There was no sign of anyone else entering or leaving the property."

Yu frowned. "You don't think…" he began.

"It's certainly very similar to the changes of heart from last year," said Naoto. "And equally similar to what you described with Hitani-san. Pardon me." She bent down over her phone, typing quickly. Her brow furrowed.

"What is it?" Yu asked.

"According to this, that van has been in Yongen-jaya all evening," Naoto said. She stared at her phone for a moment longer before sighing, slipping her phone back into her pocket. When she looked up, she had a very deliberate smile on her face. "At any rate, I'm sorry for the interruption. It's been a while since we've all had this time to catch up. Please, let's continue with dinner."

* * *

The van rolled away from Masaru Izawa's neighborhood, the drone of the engine punctuated by clicking sounds from the back seat as Futaba worked on her laptop. Makoto drove just under the speed limit, careful not to draw attention to them as the van made its way back to Yongen-jaya. The night air was quiet and muggy, and they hadn't gotten very far before Makoto gave in, switching on the air conditioner.

"What do you think Masaru-kun meant when he said 'that place'?" Haru asked, speaking up from the backseat.

"I have no idea," Morgana said, speaking up from Akira's lap. "But I'm willing to bet it has to do with how Masaru got involved in this."

Akira said nothing, thinking back to the threads that wound around Masaru's limbs. Had the thread led somewhere? He had seen it stretching off into the distance, and it had definitely retracted when he cut it.

"Is it possible that Masaru and those delinquents could have visited the same location?" Yusuke asked.

Ann frowned, looking out the window at the streets that passed them by. "Well this _is_ Minato," she said. "It's not that far from Shujin. If you think about it."

"But that kid's school isn't anywhere near Shujin," said Ryuji, sighing and stretching out from the front seat. "Besides, he's like eight. Where's he going to go to meet some thugs like Iwakura and his gang?"

"I wonder about that," said Makoto, frowning. She glanced into the rearview mirror. "Futaba, is there any way you can see if Masaru-kun and Iwakura's group overlapped each other?"

"When I get to a place with internet," said Futaba, looking up. She yawned. "And some sleep. I'm really tired."

"Yeah, I'm beat too," said Ryuji. "Let's go home and pick up tomorrow."

"Everything alright, Akira?" Ann asked. "You've been really quiet."

"Mm," said Akira, idly scratching Morgana behind the ears. "Just thinking about Masaru. Something about the threads. This time, they looked like chains."

"Chains?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah," said Akira. "Or puppet strings. Which makes me wonder, if the threads are strings, what's pulling them?"

Silence fell over the group. Morgana moved his head out of Akira's hold, frowning. "It's clear that these aren't just isolated incidents," he said. "The sooner we figure out the connection between them, the better."

A phone beeped, coming from the front of the van. Makoto's eyes drifted towards the cup holder as they pulled to a stop at a red light. "Can someone see who that is?" she asked. "Ryuji?"

"Uh, it's Sae," said Ryuji, glancing at the screen. "You want me to read the message?"

Makoto looked troubled. "No," she said. "No, thank you. I'll deal with it later."

The light turned green. The van started moving again.

* * *

The Phan-Site's red and black page filled Naoto's laptop screen, the screen centered on one of the latest requests. It was dated to last week, around the time when Masaru Izawa had been taken out of school:

 **My little sister was attacked by a boy in her homeroom class. She's now afraid to go to school. His name is Masaru Izawa. Phantom Thieves, please help!**

The request had no replies so far, but Naoto wouldn't have expected there to be any. Even during the height of their activity, the Phantom Thieves rarely responded directly to requests. She leaned closer to her screen, frowning in thought. Disregarding the utter irresponsibility of posting a child's full name on the internet, this request made it clear that the Phantom Thieves were most likely involved in aiding Masaru Izawa.

She flipped open her case notes, running a hand through her hair as she thought through what she knew.

There were several other active requests on the Phan-Site, a few of them involving people whose changes in mood and behavior were suspiciously sudden. She had already taken note of several that she believed would be next on the Phantom Thieves' agenda. Underneath those notes, and the notes she had taken about Akira Kurusu, she had written down what she had observed about the incidents, both now and last year.

There seemed to be three types of sudden behavioral change. The first, the standard 'change of heart', was the type linked to the Phantom Thieves and ultimately to Akira Kurusu. That one was most often characterized by a criminal or otherwise disagreeable individual suddenly confessing their crimes and turning themselves in—or else promising to become a better person. She had written down and encircled the word 'Medjed?' as an anomaly. Despite the suspicious nature of the changes of heart, this seemed to be the least dangerous of the three types. Other than the nature of the phenomenon and the great potential for abuse, this type of change generally seemed to work for the greater good. That fit with Naoto's general profile of the Phantom Thieves, that they were vigilantes who believed in the justice of their acts. That didn't necessarily make them less dangerous.

Beneath that was the second type of change, the 'mental shutdown', such as that observed in Kunikazu Okumura, the director of the Special Investigations Unit, and the former principal of Shujin Academy. This type seemed to be more violent than the change of heart, characterized by a complete shutdown of the victim's mental faculties. In all cases, this resulted in the death of the victim. While there had been some attempt to link these incidents to the Phantom Thieves, Masayoshi Shido had taken responsibility for the mental shutdowns following his own change of heart. Although, Naoto thought, there was still the disturbing idea that anything said after a change of heart was suspect—that while Shido was undoubtedly evil, he could also serve as a convenient scapegoat.

She wrote that down in the margins of her notebook, her eyes moving on to the third type of change. The 'psychotic breakdown'. She'd listed it as the opposite of a change of heart, with the victim suddenly acting in ways that were contrary to their personality, or violent. Next to that, she'd written the name 'Goro Akechi'.

The bathroom door opened, a cloud of steam wafting into the hotel room. Kanji emerged, running a towel over his hair. "Bath's yours if you want it, Naoto," he said.

Naoto jumped at the sound, then breathed out slowly. She'd almost forgotten that Kanji was here. The reminder made her smile. Slowly, carefully, she shut her case notebook and closed her laptop.

"Thank you," she said, getting to her feet. She stretched out stiff shoulders. "I think I'll take that now."

* * *

Makoto stood outside her front door for a few long moments, taking deep breaths. She still had her phone in her hand, the screen open on Sae's last message. When she was ready, she slid her key into the lock, opening the door.

"I'm home," she called.

"I'm in the living room," Sae said.

Makoto took her shoes off at the door, trying to keep her expression neutral as she walked into the living room. She forced her face into a smile.

"Hi, Sis," Makoto said. "How was your day?"

Sae stood in the living room, her arms folded. The look she gave Makoto told her clearly that she wasn't buying it.

"Where have you been?" Sae asked.

"I was out with friends," Makoto said. "You know, Akira's in town."

"I know," said Sae, frowning at her. "Do you want to tell me _why_ Naoto Shirogane is asking around about the Phantom Thieves?"

This was the moment of truth. Makoto let her eyes widen, exuding an air of innocent surprise. "I have no idea," Makoto said. "Naoto Shirogane? I thought the Phantom Thieves were old news."

"Hmm," said Sae. She held Makoto's gaze for a long moment. Makoto fought the urge to look away. "I don't have to remind you that you're trying to join the police force? You know what this could cost you."

"I really don't know what you mean," said Makoto.

Sae shook her head. "Save it," she said. "I'm not going to make you stop. I'm only asking that you think things through. You're not a child anymore, Makoto."

"I know I'm not," Makoto said, a frustrated edge creeping into her voice.

"Then I've said my piece," said Sae. She sighed, some of the tension going out of her shoulders. "Just…be careful, alright? I _want_ to see you achieve your dream."

"Don't worry," Makoto said. "I will."

* * *

 **Phantom Thieves Group Chat – 07/25**

 **Ryuji:** Yo, Makoto. You alright?

 **Makoto:** I'm fine. Sis just wanted to talk.

 **Haru:** Nothing serious, I hope?

 **Makoto:** Naoto Shirogane is still asking about the Phantom Thieves.

 **Ann:** Still?! Well, I guess she is a serious detective…

 **Futaba:** Serious is an understatement. She's probably not going to stop until she finds something.

 **Yusuke:** Does your sister know about our more recent activities?

 **Makoto:** I'm pretty sure Sis suspects something.

 **Ryuji:** Ugh, I feel like we're flying blind here. There's gotta be a way to figure out what they're up to.

 **Makoto:** There might be.

 **Ryuji:** Huh?

 **Haru:** What do you mean, Mako-chan?

 **Makoto:** Just a thought. We'll talk about it more tomorrow. Let's meet at the hideout.


	9. Infiltration

**A/N:** I know some of you are impatient to see everyone together. Don't worry, this story will be fairly long and I promise that both teams will be involved. At the moment though, both teams seem to be focused more on each other than on the mystery. Oh well, we'll see how that turns out~

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/26 (Wed)**_

 _ **Morning**_

Ryuji was in the shop when Akira came downstairs, sitting at the counter with a soda and a thick volume of manga.

"Yo," he said as Akira approached, giving him a tired look. "Is it okay if I hang out here till we meet?"

"Sure," Akira said. "You wanna come upstairs?"

"Yeah," said Ryuji, getting up.

Akira paused to greet Sojiro, taking his coffee and curry up into the attic room.

An hour later, Ryuji was lying on the couch staring up at his phone, one hand pillowed behind his head as he scrolled through his messages. "Ugh, the chat is so dead," he said. "I know Ann's got work right now and Haru said something about some business meeting or whatever, but where the hell is Makoto? Or Yusuke? Or Futaba?"

Akira looked up from his book, shrugging. "No clue," he said. "I guess we'll find out later."

"Man, I hope Makoto isn't doing anything crazy," said Ryuji. "You remember that thing she said last night, don't you, Akira? About having a plan to deal with Shirogane?"

Akira frowned, tugging at his hair. "I remember," he said.

Morgana perked up from where he was draped across Akira's knee, reading alongside him.

"What's this about a plan?" he asked.

Ryuji let out a sigh, flopping back against the couch. "You're gonna have to ask Makoto," he said. "If you can even get a hold of her."

"Pardon the intrusion," a voice called, coming from the foot of the stairs. "I am coming up." Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and then Yusuke appeared, poking his head into the attic room. "Ah, Ryuji," he said. "You're here too."

Ryuji sat up. Akira set his book aside.

"What's up, Yusuke?" he asked.

"I was in the area," Yusuke said, turning to Akira. "I hope you don't mind if I stay here until our meeting? I find myself suddenly without plans."

"Suddenly?" Ryuji asked, frowning at him. "Why the hell else would you be in Yongen-jaya?"

Yusuke dropped the bag he was carrying to the ground, taking a seat at Akira's desk chair. "Futaba invited me to watch an animated movie with her, however, when I arrived at her house, the door was locked. I rang the doorbell and sent her a text, but she hasn't responded. Don't worry, I asked Boss and he said that she was perfectly healthy when he left the house this morning. I can only assume that she has gotten absorbed in some project and is not checking her phone."

"Dude, wait, slow down," said Ryuji, his brow creasing. "You were going to watch _anime_ with _Futaba_?"

"Yes," said Yusuke, blinking at Ryuji. "I fail to see why that is surprising."

"I—just—never mind." Ryuji let out a sigh, running a hand through his blond hair.

"What anime?" Akira asked, interested.

"I believe it was a movie called _Sen and Chihiro's Kamikakushi_ ," said Yusuke. "Futaba said that it had great artistic merit."

"You've never seen _Kamikakushi_?" Ryuji asked. "For real? Even when you were a kid?"

"No," said Yusuke. "Is that…surprising? Madarame did not take me to see films often."

"Huh," said Akira. "It's a good movie."

"Yeah, but that's not the point," said Ryuji, slumping back against the couch. "What the hell, man? Makoto's out of touch and Futaba's working on a project. I'm kind of worried. You don't think she's gonna do what she did with Kaneshiro, do you?"

Akira stopped to think for a moment. The memory of Makoto charging into a meeting with Kaneshiro did make him a little uneasy. But the Phantom Thieves had been in this business on and off for more than a year now. And the most important thing about how they operated was that they did _not_ act alone.

"Makoto's not stupid," Akira said. "She'll be fine."

"I agree," Morgana said, stretching out. "We can trust her."

"Yes," said Yusuke, opening his bag. "In the meantime, I've brought an art book if anyone would like to look through it with me."

* * *

 _ **Daytime**_

"Our studio is on the fifth floor," Rise said, as she and Kanji walked through the automatic doors into the air-conditioned cool of the building lobby. "We usually have security watching the elevator, but if you use the pass I gave you, they should let you through."

"Uh-huh," Kanji said, trying not to gawk at everything as he followed Rise into the building.

He knew he was drawing attention to himself, but he couldn't help it. Tokyo was just…big, and there were so many people everywhere he looked, so many different things happening. They had taken the train to get here. In Inaba, taking the train like that would have put him in Okina or some other city. In Tokyo, it just meant seeing more Tokyo. He was aware that he was acting like a country bumpkin though, so he did his best to shake the fascination, rubbing at the back of his neck as he looked around the studio lobby.

"So—what?" he asked. "Am I just gonna sit around all day?"

"Pretty much," said Rise, smiling from beneath the hooded jacket and sunglasses she had worn during their trip to the building. "You can come and go as you please, and if you get bored, I'm sure we can find something for you to do. I thought this would be better than sitting around a hotel room, though."

"Yeah, s'alright," said Kanji, tugging at the strap of the bag he was carrying. "I've got some knitting and some orders to fill, so I can keep myself busy."

"Great," said Rise. "Thank you again for doing this, Kanji-kun."

They crossed the lobby. Kanji paused, noticing the crowd of people that had gathered around the doors leading out of the room. He didn't know what was happening, but everyone seemed really busy with something.

"What's goin' on over there?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Rise asked, looking. "Oh, that's a modeling studio. I think they're doing a photoshoot for the new issue of Vague today."

"Models, huh," said Kanji, watching as people wheeled a brightly-clad mannequin through the lobby towards the cluster of people, supervised by a stern-looking woman carrying a clipboard. "Whoa, who designed _that_ piece of shit?"

The woman stopped walking, turning towards him. " _Excuse_ me?" she asked. "Are you talking about this dress?"

"Yeah, 'course I'm talking about it," said Kanji. "I mean, you've got like, what, five different fabrics going on here, none of them match, and that's _not_ going to be comfortable to wear. Who's gonna want to buy that?"

"It's not for sale," the woman said, resting a hand on her hip. "It's a _concept_."

"Okay, then why the hell even make it?" Kanji asked. "What's the point of makin' clothes no one's ever gonna get to wear?" He looked past her at the group of young women standing in a group behind her. The models, he guessed. "Plus, you're not even usin' your models correctly. You've got one chick in a blue jacket that's just _not_ the right color for her, and you've got the hafugirl wearin' _brown_."

"I—." The woman opened her mouth to argue, then paused, looking back at the models. "That's not—who _are_ you anyway?"

"Who, me?" Kanji asked. "I'm just a guy who knows clothes. Uh—name's Kanji Tatsumi."

The woman took a step back, giving him an appraising look. "I see. Are you free today, Tatsumi-san?"

Kanji looked back at Rise, startled. "Uh—," he said. "I've actually kind of got a thing—."

"Oh, go ahead," said Rise, giggling. "I'll be upstairs, Kanji-kun. I'll call you if anything happens, okay?"

"Um—yeah, sure," said Kanji. He looked back at the woman. "What didya want me to do, uh—."

"Nakata," she said. "Kyoko Nakata. I'm a representative for this clothing line. As you've surmised, I'm not a designer. I work in marketing. The designer had a family emergency this morning and won't be available until at least noon. If you have an opinion on which clothes are suited to which models, I would appreciate the help."

"Well, uh, I guess I could do that," said Kanji. "For starters, you gotta get that one girl out of the brown. Give her something brighter to wear, like—uh—." He walked up to the group, picking up a brightly colored blouse that had been set aside on a chair. "This! This'll do."

* * *

The next few hours passed in a whirlwind of costume changes and photographs. The designer never showed. He kept his phone within reach in case Rise or any of the others needed him, but none of them called, and Nakata kept him busy enough that he didn't have time to think about Naoto, Rise, or Yu until it was time to take a break. There were food and drinks set aside in a corner of the studio for the models and staff. No one protested when Kanji went to get himself a bottle of water, so he guessed it was fine.

He took a sip, walking up to the bench where the blond model from earlier was seated, going through her phone. He thought her name was Ann something—Ann Takamaki. She seemed nicer than the other models, more down to earth. She smiled as he approached, sliding over to free up the bench, and Kanji took the offered seat next to her.

"It always this crazy around here?" he asked.

"Mm, sometimes," she said. "Especially when there's a deadline coming up."

"Huh…" Kanji said, looking around.

"You aren't from around here, are you, Kanji-san?" she asked.

"Yeah, you got me," said Kanji. "I'm in town visiting a friend. That obvious?"

"Just a little," said Ann, smiling. "Thank you for helping out today."

"Oh, yeah, no problem," said Kanji. "It's not like I had anything better to do."

Her phone buzzed. Ann glanced down at it, her expression thoughtful. As she raised it up, Kanji caught sight of her background picture. It was her standing in what looked like a park, a black-haired boy's arm slung over her shoulder. Her arm rested around his waist. They were both smiling at the camera.

"Cute picture," Kanji said, offhandedly. "Your boyfriend?"

Ann flushed, blinking in surprise before an embarrassed smile spread over her face. "Um—yeah," she said. "He's the one that's texting me, actually. He lives in a different town, but he's in Tokyo right now for the summer."

"Long distance," said Kanji, wincing in sympathy. "That sucks."

"It's a little hard, but it's worth it," said Ann. She looked down at her phone, a faint smile on her face as she tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Sometimes I feel like he's one of the few people that really…gets me, you know? A lot of people can't see past the way I look."

"I hear ya," said Kanji, thinking about when he used to dress like a punk. "Sounds like you two got a good thing going."

"Do you have a b—uh…someone like that, Kanji-san?" Ann asked.

"Huh?" Kanji asked, his face flushing. "Oh—uh, yeah, I got a partner. We end up bein' long distance every now and then too because of work and shit. S'tough."

"But things are still working out for you two?" asked Ann.

"Yeah, well, listen. If they're the right person for you, you just gotta deal with it, you know. Man up and find something that works. But don't let go of something good just 'cause it gets tough every now and then. You guys know how long you'll have to keep this up for?"

"Hopefully not too long," said Ann, smiling. "We're both third years, so we're graduating soon. He's planning to go to college in Tokyo, so it's probably only going to be a few months more."

"Hey, that's great," said Kanji. "Hang in there. I'm rootin' for you."

"Thank you, Kanji-san, that's really sweet," said Ann. A call from the photographer made her look over, and she smiled, putting her cellphone away as she got to her feet. "It looks like my break's over. I'll see you around."

* * *

Rise came to get him a couple of hours after lunch, just after the photoshoot had wrapped up and Ann and the others had left. She came up to him while he was talking to Nakata, staying a few feet away and raising her hand in a wave. Kanji glanced at her, then back at Nakata.

"Well," he said, "Looks like that's my cue to leave. Nice working with you, Nakata-san."

"Thank you again for your help," said Nakata. "Have you ever considered a career in fashion, Tatsumi-san?"

Kanji shook his head. "Nah, I've got a textile shop to run back home. Can give you our card though." He dug a business card for Tatsumi Textiles out of his pocket, handing it to her. "Give us a call if you need anything. See you around."

He gave her a nod, walking over to join Rise. Nakata smiled, shaking her head faintly. As he walked away, he thought he saw her give the card a long look, before tucking it into the front pocket of her blazer.

Rise threaded her arm through his, making him jump. "Did you have _fun_ , Kanji-kun?" she asked, giggling.

Kanji rolled his eyes, an embarrassed flush on his face. "Don't even start," he said, following her away.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves were seated around the table in the Okumura mansion's parlor that afternoon, snack wrappers littering the tabletop between them. Futaba had her feet on her chair, knees pressed up close to her chest and headphones on as her fingers danced across her laptop keys. Across from her, Ann and Akira read manga over Ryuji's shoulder while Haru sipped tea. Yusuke paced the room, studying the paintings again. The atmosphere in the room was tense, charged.

Makoto still hadn't arrived.

"Should we look for her?" Yusuke asked, after completing another circuit of the room.

"She's _fine_ , Inari!" Futaba said, tugging one headphone off of her ear. "Just fine."

"Then why won't you tell us where she is?" Ryuji asked, looking up at Futaba. "What are you two plotting?"

Futaba let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a cackle, grinning. "You're just going to have to wait and see, Ryuji," she said, putting her headphones back on. "I'm not going to spoil the surprise."

Ryuji let out a frustrated groan. "I'm sick of this shit!" he said. "Can someone please just tell me what the hell's going on already?"

The door to the parlor opened, one of Haru's maids bowing Makoto in. She was dressed not in her usual summer clothes, but in a white blouse, sheer stockings, black skirt, and professional-looking blazer. Ryuji stared at her, jaw dropping. Akira looked over her outfit, brows raising.

"You're late," he said.

"I apologize," said Makoto, giving him a secretive smile. "I had some things to do."

"What's with the business suit?" Ryuji asked. "Where have you _been_?"

"It's not where I've been," said Makoto, pulling out an empty chair and sitting down. "It's where I'm going to be. Do you have what I asked you for, Futaba?"

"Of course," said Futaba, "Finished it last night. All that's left to do is attach it to Naoto Shirogane. Her computer, if you can. You know the drill."

"Wait—you're going to do what to Naoto Shirogane?" Ann asked, staring at Makoto with wide eyes.

"How do you propose to get near her?" asked Yusuke, frowning as he walked up to the table.

"I'll explain later," said Makoto. "In the meantime, let's talk about what happened with Masaru-kun. Did we find anything about where he and those delinquents might have overlapped?"

"Not yet," said Futaba. "Still looking. So far, though, it doesn't seem like they had anything in common."

"Well, duh, I could've told you that," said Ryuji.

"At least we've proven that cutting the thread works," said Morgana. "Even if Akira is still the only person who can see them."

"What do we do now?" Haru asked. "Do we go after those delinquents again?"

"Four of them," said Ann, frowning in thought. "They're going to be ready for us too."

"If that _thing_ knows that we rescued Masaru, the security level's probably going to be pretty high," said Morgana. "I don't know if it's such a good idea to fight them all at once."

"Then why don't we fight them one at a time?" asked Akira. Conversation paused, the others turning to look at him. Akira held their attention for a few moments before letting his gaze shift to Futaba. "You can get Iwakura's home address, can't you?"

"Already gotten," said Futaba. "Should we go see if he's home?"

"Tonight," said Akira. "First." He looked back at Makoto. "What were you planning to do about Shirogane?"

Makoto smiled.

* * *

"This is insane!"

"Calm down, Ryuji," said Makoto, her voice coming out of Futaba's laptop speakers. She sounded like she was smiling. The Phantom Thieves, sans Makoto, were seated inside the van, parked a couple of blocks away from the police station that Yu Narukami was assigned to.

"No, this is legit crazy," said Ryuji. "Isn't she like, some super detective? Didn't Sae tell you _not_ to get close to her?"

"Well, we wouldn't have gotten anywhere if we weren't willing to take risks," said Makoto. Her voice grew serious. "I'm approaching the police station. Make sure the van is ready. If things go badly, I might need it."

"Yeah, yeah," said Ryuji, sighing as he clambered into the driver's seat. "One getaway car, good to go."

Akira glanced at him, then leaned closer to Futaba's laptop. "Keep us posted, Makoto," he said.

"Will do," said Makoto. There was a pause, and then Akira heard the sound of automatic doors sliding open from the other end of the line. "Excuse me. I heard Naoto Shirogane was here? Do you mind if I speak with her?"

* * *

"Yuichi Iwakura," said Naoto, reading off the name at the top of the list she had compiled last night. "Second-year at Shujin Academy. Shujin Academy was Kurusu's school, and was at the center of the events of last year. If the Phantom Thieves _are_ responding to online requests pertaining to this phenomenon, it's likely that they'll target him next."

Yu nodded, taking her notebook to glance at the name. The two of them were sitting in an unused conference room at the police station, notes and papers spread out on the table between them.

They had just come back from visiting Masaru. The boy was in bed with a fever after his ordeal, but he seemed normal now, and was even apologetic about what happened to Sayo. The strangest part was that he didn't remember speaking to Yu at all, or any of the events after attacking her. From the sound of it, he didn't even remember the attack clearly, only in fragments. So far, his testimony lined up with Hitani's, who they had also gone to speak with today. Frustratingly, neither of them could say anything about what had caused their psychotic breakdowns in the first place.

"We could stake out Iwakura's house tonight," said Naoto. "If they _are_ involved, it's likely that that's where we'll find them. I'd be interested in learning about their methods. I—."

A knock at the door cut her off. The two of them glanced at it as the door opened, admitting the receptionist who usually sat at the front desk.

"Excuse me, Shirogane-san, there's a young lady outside who would like to speak with you," the receptionist said. "She says you worked with her father once."

"Did you get her name?" Naoto asked.

The woman nodded. "Makoto Niijima."

"Niijima…" Naoto frowned, thinking. Her eyes widened. "Ah, yes! I remember." She stood up. "I'll go speak to her. You don't mind, do you, Yu?"

Yu shook his head, smiling. "Duty calls," he said, checking his watch. He stood up as well, picking up his cellphone. "I'm going for a walk. Rise should be out of work by now. I'll check in with them."

"Thank you," said Naoto, following the receptionist out. "I'll be right back."

* * *

 **Kanji and Naoto's Messages – 07/26**

 **Kanji:** (U・x・U)

 **Kanji:** ʕ/ ·ᴥ·ʔ/

 **Kanji:** (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

 **Kanji:** (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)✧

 **Kanji:** (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

 **Naoto:** Kanji, what are you doing?

 **Kanji:** ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ)

 **Kanji:** Practicing.

 **Naoto:** OK.

 **Kanji:** (⌒_⌒;)


	10. Connection

**A/N:** I don't have anything to say before this one, except that I'm very grateful for the support that all of you have shown this story. I've just found out thanks to your reviews that this fic is listed as recommended on Tvtropes. Thank you all! I'll do my best not to let you down.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/26 (Wed)**_

 _ **Daytime**_

"Naoto Shirogane?" Makoto asked, when Naoto stepped out of the hallway towards her. "I'm Makoto Niijima, a criminal justice student at Tokyo University. Thank you very much for meeting with me."

She lowered herself in a polite bow. Naoto returned it. The other woman was shorter than she would have expected in person, barely taller than Futaba, but she carried herself with a sort of self-assurance that made her seem larger than she was. There was a calm intelligence in her gaze too, even as she looked up to smile at Makoto, the sense that she knew much more about everything around her than she was letting on.

"It's no problem at all, Niijima-san," Naoto said. "I remember working with your father. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," said Makoto. "It means a lot."

"Is there something I can help you with?" Naoto asked.

"I was…actually hoping I could ask you a few questions," Makoto said, giving Naoto a smile that was both embarrassed and eager. "I actually aim to join the police department after graduation, and you've always been one of my heroes. I was hoping you could talk about what it's like to be doing work like this, especially as a woman. I understand if you're busy, though. I can come back."

"We were actually taking a break," Naoto said. "I'd be happy to answer your questions, Niijima-san."

"Thank you," said Makoto. She let her eyes move over the receptionist's desk, the two uniformed police officers, both male, that were chatting near the door. Makoto looked back at Naoto and tried her best to project uncertainty, tugging at the strap of her purse. "Is it alright to talk here?"

"I don't have an office, unfortunately, but there is a conference room I've been using," said Naoto, inclining her head back towards the hallway. "Follow me."

Makoto nodded, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. That was one hurdle cleared. If Naoto had insisted on having this conversation in the reception area, Makoto would have been out of luck, but at the very least, she wouldn't have exposed her identity in any way. She let Naoto lead her into the conference room, closing the door behind her.

Makoto took a moment to let her eyes sweep over the room, taking in the scene. It looked like it had been in use for a long time. Two chairs had been pulled away from the central table, papers, maps and files strewn across the tabletop. There were two mugs of coffee slowly cooling, and next to one of the seats was a sleek black laptop. Naoto stepped up to the laptop, pushing the screen down. She made the movement look casual, as if she was just straightening things out idly, but Makoto didn't miss the way she also pushed several sheets of paper out of view. Whatever was on those files, Naoto clearly didn't want her to see them. Makoto tried for a nervous smile.

"Is it alright for me to be in here?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it," Naoto said, taking a seat at her chair and gesturing at the chair beside her. "Have a seat, Niijima-san."

"Thank you," said Makoto, setting her purse on the ground and taking a seat.

"Did you have any specific questions?" asked Naoto.

"I was hoping you could give me some advice," said Makoto. "To be honest, I'm a little worried about succeeding in the police force. My sister has warned me that it will be difficult."

Naoto folded her arms, frowning. "I'm not going to lie," she said. "It isn't easy. The Tokyo police tend to be rather…set in their ways. You have to know who you are and what you want, and make it clear that you won't be pushed to the side. But I think success is certainly possible, with the right amount of effort."

"Has it been difficult for you?" Makoto asked.

"At times," said Naoto. "You might have noticed that I work as a consulting detective, not as a member of the police. That, and my gender and age, have often led to people underestimating me."

"What do you do?" asked Makoto, genuinely interested.

"I persevere," said Naoto. "And I learn how to pick my battles. Being a consulting detective gives me more freedom than if I were tied to any single police department. If a city won't have me, I often seek work elsewhere."

"But you're one of the best," Makoto said, smiling at her. "So they always end up calling you back."

Naoto's smile was almost sheepish, and Makoto didn't miss the way she averted her gaze for a second. Was she—embarrassed? It was surprisingly human of her. "Well," she said. "I'd like to think that I do a good job. And I'd like to think that quality always shows. Do you know which branch of the police force you would be interested in joining?"

"I haven't decided yet," said Makoto. "I'm still thinking about that."

"Well, either way, if you're hoping to succeed in the police force, it would be prudent to learn a martial art or some form of self-defense," said Naoto, "In addition to your studies, of course."

"I've been studying aikido," said Makoto.

"I see," said Naoto. "Aikido will certainly be useful. Do you have any more questions, Niijima-san?"

Makoto leaned back in her seat, deciding to move things along. She looked down at her hands.

"Yes—well, I do have one thing I'm curious about. It might be a personal question, though."

Naoto gave her a perplexed look. "Ask away," she said.

"What made you stop being the Detective Prince?"

* * *

"… _Detective Prince?"_

"That's the signal!" said Futaba, pulling away from her laptop to sit back on her heels.

"Wow, Makoto's acting is something, isn't it?" asked Ann.

"I'm on the edge of my seat," said Haru, sounding excited.

"Be quiet!" said Futaba, "I need the number, Akira, stat!"

"Here you go," said Akira, leaning back over the seat to pass something to Futaba. It was a white business card, with Naoto's name printed on it. The same business card that Naoto herself had left on Leblanc's countertop.

"Alright," said Futaba, typing the number in. "Here goes nothing!"

She drew in a deep breath.

* * *

"Well, there's a number of factors that go into that," said Naoto, answering Makoto's question. "First, there's simply the matter of my age. I believe such monikers are more acceptable when applied to high school students than to adults in their twenties. Second, a name such as that usually results from some sort of public awareness, and I haven't appeared on television interviews recently. But," She gave Makoto a knowing smile, "I think what you're really asking is why I stopped pretending to be male."

Makoto's expression was sheepish. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"Only a little," said Naoto. "Disguising my gender was an attempt to become more respected as a detective, for all of the reasons I discussed earlier. As I grew older, I began to realize that such drastic measures should not be necessary. The onus should not be on me to change myself in order to make others more comfortable."

"You shouldn't have to change," said Makoto. "It's society that needs changing. Is that it?"

"Exactly," said Naoto. "I am still the fifth in a long line of Shirogane detectives. If the world can't accept that I _also_ happen to be a woman, then—."

She was cut off as her phone chose that moment to ring.

"Excuse me," said Naoto, reaching for it. It was a call from a private number. Naoto held it to her ear, accepting the call. "Hello?"

" _Hello, Naoto Shirogane."_

The voice that answered was distorted, obviously altered by some sort of program. Naoto went tense. "Who is this?" she asked. "How did you get this number?"

" _I am the Phantom Thief Alibaba,"_ the voice said. _"I know that you have been asking about us."_

Phantom Thief—

Naoto clutched the phone closer to herself, eyes drifting towards Makoto, who was watching her with an expression of concern. She looked to the door, wondering where Yu had gone.

"Shirogane-san?" Makoto began.

"It's nothing," said Naoto, shaking her head. "Please, just—wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."

She stood up, walking quickly to the door. Naoto opened it and stepped outside, but there was no sign of Yu in the hallway. She glanced down at her watch, taking note of the time. He would have to be back soon.

"What do you want?" she asked.

" _I want you to leave us alone,"_ said the Phantom Thief. _"We are not your enemies."_

Keep them talking. Ask them questions until they let something slip, even if that meant being contrary. Naoto drew in a deep breath.

"I'll be the judge of that," said Naoto. "What are your goals?"

" _We want to help the people of this city."_

"We want the same thing, then," said Naoto. "I don't understand the need for secrecy."

" _You can't be trusted."_

"Why?" said Naoto.

A long pause at the end of the line. Naoto wondered if the person she was speaking to was alone, or if there were others with them. Other Phantom Thieves.

"Are you still there?" Naoto asked.

" _Yes,"_ the voice said. _"I've given you our message. That's all."_

"Wait—," Naoto said. The line went dead. Naoto frowned, searching through her call history for the timestamp. The number was unavailable, but her service provider would be able to tell her who had placed the call. She had the sinking feeling that by the time she got that information, though, it would be too late.

Still, that was something at least. The Phantom Thief Alibaba. And apparently, she couldn't be trusted. She wondered why. Was it because she represented the police? The establishment? Or was it something else?

There was a thought, nagging at her. A loose thread. But she didn't have time for that just now. She opened the door, stepping back into the room. Makoto was seated exactly where she had been, watching her with an expression of concern. Naoto's eyes moved over the room, but nothing seemed out of place.

"Is everything alright, Shirogane-san?" Makoto asked.

"Yes," said Naoto. "A case I'm working on has taken an interesting turn. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"O-Of course," said Makoto, getting to her feet. "Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me."

"You're welcome," said Naoto. "If you leave your contact information with the front desk, I'd be happy to continue this conversation."

"I'll do that," said Makoto. She offered Naoto a polite bow. "Thank you again."

* * *

Makoto left her name and phone number with the receptionist, stepping out onto the street. She managed to keep her expression calm as she walked, even managed to nod politely at a flustered Yu Narukami as he came racing back up the steps to the police station, cellphone in hand. She kept her purse close to herself, resisting the temptation to check her phone. It was only when she had gone a block away from the station and was sure that no one was following her that she raised her phone to her ear, dialing Futaba's number.

Futaba picked up immediately.

"Well?" Makoto asked. "How is it?"

"It's going to take me a bit to get through Miss Detective's security, but my little virus is in," said Futaba. "Great job, Queen!"

Makoto let out the breath she was holding, feeling a tightness in her chest ease up. She felt lightheaded all of a sudden. "That's great," she said.

"Do you need to be picked up?" asked Futaba.

"No need," said Makoto, looking around. "I'm heading to you."

* * *

 _ **Evening**_

"So, is this going to work?" Ann asked, later that evening, as they were driving through the streets heading to the apartment building that Yuichi Iwakura lived in. "I mean, we aren't anywhere near that warehouse."

"If that warehouse was Iwakura's Palace, I'd say no," said Morgana. "But that place isn't truly connected to any of them."

"So what you're saying is, there's a chance?" asked Futaba.

"It's worth a try," said Akira.

"That's his apartment building," said Makoto as the van rounded a corner. "Straight ahead. His apartment is on the third floor."

"Akira?" Yusuke asked, looking back at him. "Do you see anything?"

Akira straightened up in his seat, opening his third eye. In the darkness of that second sight, the apartment building was barely visible, except for a slash of bright red across the landscape. He blinked, his normal vision asserting itself, and looked around to find the other Phantom Thieves watching him eagerly.

"How does it look, Akira-kun?" Haru asked.

"Good news and bad news," said Akira. "The good news is, there's an entrance."

"What is the bad news?" asked Yusuke.

"The bad news," said Akira, "is that it's inside the building. In the stairwell."

* * *

"Man, we are so getting arrested today," said Ryuji, slinging one of their duffel bags of gear over his shoulder as they made their way towards the apartment building.

"What's with you today?" Makoto asked, picking up the second bag before Akira could even offer to help with it. It clanked as it came to a rest against her side, filled with their weapons. "You aren't usually so…skittish."

"What's with me?" Ryuji asked. "What's with you? How are you so calm about this? We _are_ talking about breaking and entering here, Ms. Police Commissioner."

"Technically, we're only going into the stairwell," said Makoto. "Isn't that right, Akira?"

Akira tried the doorknob. He let out a groan of frustration.

"What's wrong?" asked Ann.

"It's locked," said Akira.

"Is there another way in?" asked Haru.

The door swung open.

"Never mind," said Akira. "It's not locked."

"How _did_ you do that?" asked Yusuke, looking back at Akira.

Akira smirked, twirling a lockpick between his fingers before letting it disappear up his sleeve. "Magic," he said, pulling open the door. "Come on."

The others stared at him for a beat before following. Ryuji let out a resigned sigh.

"Yep," he said, hefting the bag of gear up onto his shoulders. " _Definitely_ getting arrested."

* * *

Yuichi Iwakura's apartment complex was an older building, one that, from the looks of it, still used physical keys instead of keypads. Naoto doubted, as she drove up to it, that it would have much in the way of security cameras. She parked the car with the stairwell door in sight, turning out the lights. Naoto checked her watch. It was just after sunset. That fit in with the timeline of the Phantom Thieves recent activities. If they were planning to go after Iwakura tonight, they would have to enter or exit the building through the stairwell door.

There was a possibility that the Phantom Thieves might already be on site. But as far as she could tell, it was quiet inside Iwakura's apartment, the lights off. Iwakura must not have been home yet. Given everything that had happened with Hitani and Masaru, Naoto assumed that a change of heart hadn't yet taken place.

"Is that the place?" Kanji asked from the front seat, looking out the window.

"That's it," said Naoto. "Iwakura's apartment is on the third floor. Third door from the right."

"I see it," said Kanji, looking out at the balcony. "Looks pretty quiet from here."

"It is," said Naoto. "For now." She checked her phone, looking through her messages from Yu, who would come switch with her in a few hours. As she flipped through the message log, her eyes landed again on that strange call from earlier that day. The call had been traced to a phone number that wasn't currently in use. When Naoto had tried to call it, she had only gotten an error message.

It was an impressive display. Perhaps too impressive. The Phantom Thieves' handling of Medjed came to mind, as did the broadcast signal they had hijacked last December. All of those were incredibly impressive feats of hacking.

Alibaba and Medjed…

Something felt off about today. Something that she wasn't really seeing.

"Naoto?" Kanji asked. "You're spacin' out on me again."

"Sorry," said Naoto, looking over at him. Kanji was reaching into a white paper bag he had brought with him, taking out something pink and frosted. Her brows arched. "You brought doughnuts?"

"Well, yeah," said Kanji. "Figured, since it was a stakeout and all. Plus they were kinda cute. You want this one? It's shaped like a cat."

"Ah—in a moment," said Naoto, "Something's been bothering me about all this. I'm trying to understand what it is."

"Is it about those Phantom Thieves?" asked Kanji.

"Perhaps," said Naoto.

"Huh," said Kanji. "Who are those guys, anyway?" He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable.

"They're…well, it's difficult to get to the truth of the matter," said Naoto. "There are many conflicting statements, but most people agree that the Phantom Thieves were vigilantes that forced people whose crimes had been hidden into a 'change of heart'."

"Heard about those," said Kanji. "They got that Shido guy to confess his crimes."

"Shido, among others," said Naoto. "But nobody can quite agree on how they did it. I suspect they had some supernatural method, similar to our own powers."

"Wait," said Kanji. "You think they might be Persona users?"

"It's possible," said Naoto. "After all, our own abilities allowed us to do some fairly impressive things. But if they were somehow using Personas to change hearts, they would have to be using something other than the TV world."

"Well, yeah," said Kanji. "Puttin' people into TVs doesn't make 'em change their ways or whatever. It just kills 'em."

"Exactly," said Naoto. "That's what I'm trying to understand."

"So they're on our side?" asked Kanji.

"I'm not so sure about that." Naoto drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, frowning in thought. "If we believe the public perception of them, their intentions are certainly good. However…"

The loose thread. Psychotic breakdowns. What was the connection between the Phantom Thieves and Goro Akechi?

Kanji shifted in place again. The movement caught Naoto's eye. "Kanji, are you alright?" she asked. "You look quite uncomfortable."

"Ah, yeah, just—uh—legroom, you know," said Kanji, moving his chair back. "Where'd you get the Prius anyway?"

"I rented it for the evening," said Naoto. She looked down at the amount of space between her seat and the pedals, feeling a touch of chagrin. While the amount of room available might have been ample for her, it didn't seem as if Kanji was quite as lucky. "I apologize. I didn't think about that."

"S'fine," said Kanji. "Still, can you imagine doin' a car chase in _this_ thing?"

"This is a stakeout," said Naoto. "The point is to be subtle, and to observe _only_. Without Yu, we don't have the authority to make any arrests." The corner of her lip quirked up in a smile. "Or start any car chases."

"Should've brought the bike," said Kanji. "That would've really shown 'em."

"Kanji, that bike is as loud as a train!" said Naoto.

"Yeah," said Kanji, smiling wistfully. "It does sound pretty sweet, doesn't it?"

"Well—I mean, yes, I suppose," said Naoto. "R-Regardless, for our purposes, this is more than adequate. With the exception of the leg room issue."

"Right, yeah, okay," said Kanji, settling back. "So now we wait?"

Naoto nodded, her eyes on the stairwell door. "Now we wait."

* * *

 **Investigation Team Group Chat – 07/26**

 **Yukiko:** Good news! My mother agreed to cover for me. I should have no problem coming to Tokyo!

 **Rise:** That's awesome, Yukiko-chan! Can't wait to see you~

 **Chie:** How's Tokyo treating you, Kanji?

 **Kanji:** Eh, it's alright, I guess.

 **Kanji:** Big.

 **Rise:** Aww, don't be modest~

 **Rise:** Kanji-kun spent an entire day working with models! (*≧ω≦*)

 **Yosuke:** Wait, what the heck?!

 **Kanji:** It was nothing, just a favor for some fashion company. Some models needed help with their clothes.

 **Yosuke:** Dude

 **Yosuke:** Duuuuuuude

 **Yosuke:** That's it, I'm coming to Tokyo.

 **Kanji:** But I don't think you know anything about clothes, Yosuke-senpai.

 **Yosuke:** Shut up, Kanji.


	11. Closer

**A/N:** Regarding fight scenes, it's always tough to write video game fight scenes while staying true to the game mechanics. Suffice it to say, the way I write fights is probably not how you would actually play them in a game (and probably not the most efficient way of using the characters' skills in a game setting).

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/26 (Wed)**_

 _ **Evening**_

"Whoa," Oracle said, almost as soon as they crossed over the threshold into the remnant.

Joker looked back at her. "What is it?"

"The security level's increased again," said Oracle. "It's not a big increase, but it's a little worrying. Stay on your toes, Joker."

Joker nodded, leading the others up the remnant's shadowed version of a stairwell. Unlike the previous remnants, which had only looked like darker versions of their real-world locations, this place appeared to be more severely distorted. The building was still recognizably an apartment complex, the same way that Sae's Palace had been recognizable as a casino, but the path to the third floor was more complex and convoluted than it should have been, filled with Shadows lurking in the darkness.

The door to the third floor had been locked. They'd been forced to climb out onto the balcony of the second floor and weave their way through various apartments and air vents until they made their way to the third floor. By the time they made it to the third floor balcony, switching in and out between the front and back lines, several of the Phantom Thieves were breathing hard.

"The distortion is definitely more severe here," said Mona, as they gathered around the door to Iwakura's apartment.

"What changed?" Queen asked.

"I wonder…" said Fox, "Could it possibly be because we changed Masaru's heart?"

"Maybe," said Oracle. "It's like the more we change things, the more whatever's causing this becomes aware of us."

"So it's angry because we aren't letting it do what it wants?" Panther asked, eyes narrowing in anger. "That jerk! Joker, we have to put a stop to this!"

"And we will," said Joker, taking out the key that they'd stolen from a Shadow on the second floor. "Everyone be on your guard." He slipped it into the apartment's lock. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other Phantom Thieves fan out around him, raising their weapons.

The door swung open, revealing an empty apartment. No one moved immediately, Joker looking meaningfully at Oracle. She raised her hands, summoning her console to her again.

"It's clear," she said. "I don't think there's anyone here."

"Wait, so Iwakura's not even here?" Skull asked. "Did we come all this way for nothing?"

"Chill out, Skull. It's probably because he's not home in the real world yet," said Oracle. "I'm sure he'll turn up when he gets here."

"So we wait for him?" asked Noir.

"That seems to be our only option," said Mona, taking a step into the apartment. "Everyone, get ready."

* * *

A stakeout, Naoto mused, was mostly an exercise in boredom and concentration. She sat at the driver's seat, her eyes on the house, her ears tuned to the steady clicking sound of Kanji's knitting needles.

So far, the night was quiet, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Quiet nights gave her time to stop and think, to piece together all of the information she had already obtained. She felt like she was walking a spiral, circling the same issues over and over again, but drawing closer to the truth each time. She had all of the pieces. She just needed a little more. The first spark of connection.

She reached for the travel mug in the cup holder, taking a swig of coffee.

The odd thing about today, her conversation with Alibaba. Something the Phantom Thief had said still stuck in her mind.

 _You can't be trusted…_

"Hey, Naoto," Kanji said. The rhythmic clicking came to a stop. "Someone's coming."

Naoto drew herself out of her thoughts, eyes moving towards the window. A teenager was walking up to the stairwell, carrying a backpack over one shoulder. He dug his key out of his pocket, listlessly pulling the stairwell door open. As he moved, she saw his face in profile, matched it with the image she had seen from Shujin Academy's records.

Yuichi Iwakura.

"That the kid?" Kanji asked.

"That is," said Naoto. "Stay on your guard. Things might start to get interesting."

* * *

Iwakura's Shadow came into the apartment about twenty minutes after Joker and the others had taken up hiding places. In real life, Yuichi Iwakura looked like any ordinary high school student at Shujin, unremarkable except for his penchant for dressing like a delinquent. Inside the remnant, Iwakura was dressed like an ancient warrior. Dark Japanese-style armor clung to his body, and he held a drawn blade in his hand as he stepped into the room.

His eyes were bright-orange, and, Joker noted from his hiding spot, alert. He looked very different from the first time when Joker had seen him, when his Shadow had stood listlessly in the center of the warehouse floor.

Oracle and the others were right, Joker thought, his eyes on Iwakura as he paced the area cautiously.

Something was definitely aware of them.

He could see the thread.

It was a shimmering thing, gossamer-fine, thickening only when it wrapped around Iwakura's limbs. And in the dimness of his third eye, he saw something else. A shadow that surrounded Iwakura, guarding him, shielding the thread from Joker's touch. Somehow, he got the sense that the Shadow was just waiting for him to leap at the thread.

Joker scowled. It looked like this time, changing Iwakura's heart wouldn't be quite so easy. Thankfully, they had a back-up plan.

He looked over to the left, catching Skull's eye. Joker raised his hand, pointing at Iwakura with two fingers and cocking his head at the Shadow. Skull grinned back, raising his hand in a thumbs up to show that he had received the message.

They launched at Iwakura all at once.

Or rather, Joker thought, it would have been more accurate to say that he, Skull, Queen, and Panther launched at Iwakura at once. He felt power rush through him as Skull skidded to a stop, summoning Seiten Taisei to cast Matarukaja.

"How do you want to do this, Joker?" Panther asked, as Iwakura turned towards them in a rage.

"Take him down."

"You got it!" Panther raised her hand to her mask, and Joker saw power flare up around her, building, as she concentrated. He glanced back at her, then at the other two people at his side.

"Skull!" he said. "Queen!"

"On it!" said Skull, charging forward.

Iwakura slashed his sword at him, and Skull caught it with his club, turning the blade to the side as he pushed Iwakura back. He let out a shout of effort, shoving forward and knocking Iwakura off his feet. As Iwakura stumbled, Skull leaped back and Queen stepped forward, freeing her revolver from its holster. She emptied it in several quick shots, shooting from her hip. The bullets struck Iwakura's Shadow dead on, and he grunted with the impact, gouts of darkness pouring from the wounds like blood.

His head turned slowly, a disjointed movement, his eyes focusing on Queen.

Queen was already getting out of the way.

" _Seiten Taisei!"_ Skull shouted. "Get _wrecked_!"

Seiten Taisei materialized, spinning his staff. As he brought it down, a colossal hand appeared in the air overhead, slamming down into Iwakura with enough force to rock the apartment.

"Yours, Queen!" Skull said.

Queen raised a hand to her mask. "Feel my rage!" she said, as power started to swell around her. _"Anat!"_

Anat came into existence, arms spread wide. A glowing blue light appeared between her hands, slamming into the fallen enemy. Joker threw his arm up over his eyes to shield them, looking away from the glare of the blast. When the brightness cleared, Iwakura was lying on the ground, his armor chipped and holes ripped in the fabric of his robe. As Joker watched, the holes started to fill, shadows swirling around him and filling in the gaps.

He'd been expecting this. Masaru hadn't stayed down either.

Joker raised his pistol as Iwakura tried to rise, leaping to the side. He emptied the clip in one burst, Iwakura dropping down to the ground again with a stunned look on his face.

"Panther!" Joker said.

Panther opened her eyes, the power around her surging to life. Hecate appeared in the air as she let out a roar of rage, flames rising up around her. The fire slammed into Iwakura before he could even think of rising again, driving him into the floor.

"Let's finish this!" Panther shouted.

The three of them nodded, charging forward. Skull and Queen reached Iwakura first, weapons flashing as they attacked him. Behind them came Panther, her whip snapping through the air. And in their wake, Joker followed, leaping into the air towards the thread. Iwakura was down, overwhelmed by power, and there was nothing stopping him from drawing his knife, slicing clear through it.

The thread snapped, and Joker saw the cut end start to retract. He followed its passage with his third eye, watching as it soared through the shadows. As it vanished, he caught a glimpse of something on the other side of the thread. Something standing alone against a red and black sky.

A house?

The vision faded as he landed on the ground, crouched in front of Iwakura's Shadow. His armor was already fading, and he was looking up at them with a bewildered stare, even as his Shadow was engulfed in light.

"Wh-What?" he asked. "Who are you guys?"

"What happened to you?" Joker asked.

"Do you remember anything?" asked Queen.

Iwakura shook his head. "Remember—?" he asked. "What—no, wait! It was Keita. Keita's idea to go there. It was—."

The light engulfed him, drowning out his words.

"Wait!" Panther said. "Where's 'there'?"

Iwakura didn't have time to answer. The light engulfed him and he was gone, fading away. At the same time, a tremor ran through the remnant, plaster raining down from the ceiling as the place began to fall apart. Joker straightened up, looking around. There was no helping it.

"Let's get out of here!" he said, waving everyone towards the door.

* * *

The entrance to the remnant closed behind them as soon as Akira stepped into the stairwell, leaving nothing but bare wall where it had once been. Morgana pressed his paw against it as they stepped through, testing the solidity of the wall.

"It's closed," he said. "There's no going back through there."

"Man, not again," said Ryuji. "Why won't these Shadows give us any useful information?"

"I saw a house," said Akira.

The others looked at him.

"A…house, Joker?" Yusuke asked.

Akira nodded.

"What does it mean?" asked Haru.

"I don't know yet," said Akira. "But we'll find out." He looked at Futaba. "Keita is Keita Nakahara, isn't he?"

Futaba nodded. "He's one of Iwakura's delinquent friends."

"Then he's who we're going after next," said Akira. He was tempted to go after Nakahara tonight, but he could already feel the overwhelming exhaustion that came after using his powers. He inclined his head towards the stairwell door. "Let's call it a night."

"Um, Akira?" said Ann from beside the door. "You…might maybe want to take a look at this."

Akira frowned, edging his way forward towards the door. Ann was crouched down next to it and had it open a crack. He stepped carefully around it, making sure he couldn't be seen from the street, and peered out through the crack. A black car was parked just in front of the apartment building, one that hadn't been there before. While it was too dark to make out who was inside the car, there were definitely people there. Two, he thought, one small and one large.

"They're just sitting there," Ann said. "They haven't moved."

"Could this be a…stakeout?" asked Yusuke.

"Let me see," said Makoto, stepping forward. She peered through the crack, her eyes widening. "That's Naoto Shirogane."

"Are you sure, Mako-chan?" asked Haru.

"I'm positive," said Makoto.

"But didn't Futaba fix that bug?" Ryuji asked. "How's she still following us?"

"I _did_ fix it!" Futaba said. "She's probably tracking us some other way."

"She's not a detective to underestimate," said Morgana. "If we go out there, she'll see us for sure."

"What do we do, Akira?" Ann asked, looking back at him.

Akira frowned in thought, looking at the car under the lens of his third eye. The two people inside it glowed a bright gold, but there was no sign of any of the threads around them, any of the darkness he had seen around the others. He let his third eye lift, backing away.

"Close the door," he said.

It shut without a word, the others huddling around him. Akira studied the stairwell. Five floors, with Iwakura's apartment on the third. If Shirogane was here, then she had to have figured out that he was targeting Iwakura. And all of the apartments' doors were visible from the street, so she was probably watching Iwakura's place from the car.

He checked his watch. It had been about five minutes since the change of heart. Would Iwakura already be awake?

Iwakura was a delinquent, and he had gone to Shujin, where the Phantom Thief hype had once been strongest. It was worth a shot.

"Futaba," Akira said. "Do you have Iwakura's phone number?"

"Phone number, address, blood type," said Futaba, shrugging. "I have it all. Why?"

"Give me the number," Akira said. "There's something I want to try."

* * *

It was dark on the street between Naoto's car and the apartment building, but she thought she saw the door to the stairwell move. Naoto frowned, waiting for the door to open fully, but it never did. In an apartment complex in a city as crowded as Tokyo, it could have been anything. It could have been that Iwakura had forgotten to lock the door, and the wind had nudged it open. It could have been another resident pausing to go back for something on the way downstairs, or children at play peeking out into the street.

It could have been anything. But Naoto let her hands rest on the steering wheel anyway, fingers drumming against it as she waited.

A bright flash of light in Iwakura's apartment made her jump, the crack of an explosion audible even from here. Kanji sat up straight, turning towards her.

"What the hell was that?!" he asked.

The lights in Iwakura's apartment had gone out. Naoto hesitated, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. She was torn, momentarily, between the proper procedure for this, and the need to make sure Iwakura was alright. Kanji looked back at her.

"Naoto?"

Naoto grit her teeth, unclipping her seatbelt. She threw the door open, leaping out of the car. Kanji followed, the two of them running towards the front door. She had a split second to register that the door was unlocked, and then the two of them were racing up the stairs to the third floor. They emerged on the third floor balcony, and Kanji didn't even bother to knock, kicking the door open.

"Hey!" he yelled. "You alright in here?!"

Smoke poured out of the apartment, accompanied by the steady beeping sound of a smoke detector. Iwakura was lying on the ground, his eyes wide. He pointed at the open window.

"Th-The Phantom Thieves—," he said, "—they were in here!"

Kanji took a step into the apartment. Naoto stopped by the door.

Something wasn't right.

Thoughts rushed her all at once, threads of consciousness running down several parallel lines, all converging on a single truth. The air carried the acrid scent of black powder, there was a charred circle in the carpet roughly the size of a small firework, scraps of charred paper littered the ground. The front door was unlocked, the window was open, there were no signs of footsteps on the carpet.

Naoto went tense, her eyes drifting to the door that led into the stairwell.

"Kanji, it's a trick!" she said. "They're getting away!"

Kanji's eyes widened, and he looked back over his shoulder at her. He charged past her, pulling open the door to the stairwell.

"Get back here, you punks!" he yelled. Naoto caught sight of movement, of people running down the stairs in a confused rush before Kanji was on them, taking the steps two at a time.

She heard the door at the foot of the stairs slam open, heard an engine rev. Naoto looked out from the balcony, watching as a blue van skidded past the apartment building, making a turn on two of its wheels before it vanished from sight. Kanji burst out onto the street, looking around frantically for the van.

"Kanji!" Naoto called.

Kanji's head spun towards her at the sound of her voice. Naoto dug into her pocket, pulling out the car keys. She threw them at him, and he caught them in one hand, running for the car. He leaped into the driver's seat, not bothering to adjust it for his height, and hunched over the steering wheel. The car came to life with a whine, peeling out of its parking slot and taking off after the van.

* * *

" _This is the Phantom Thief Joker,"_ Akira had said a few minutes ago, speaking to Iwakura through the phone. _"Right now, you're feeling confused. Disoriented. You don't remember anything from the last week or so. Is that correct?"_

" _Y-Yeah—_ ," Iwakura had said, sounding both scared and angry on the other end of the line. _"H-How do you know that—?"_

" _I know that because I saved you,"_ said Akira. _"Something happened that caused you to lose your heart. I gave it back."_

" _Lose my heart?"_ Iwakura asked. _"What are you talking about? Is this—is this a prank call? You better not be punking me, you little shit."_

" _This is not a prank,"_ said Akira. _"Look out your window."_

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Akira heard shuffling from Iwakura's apartment.

" _Are you looking?"_ he asked.

" _Yeah, I'm looking,"_ said Iwakura, grudgingly. _"What am I supposed to be looking at?"_

" _Do you see that car?"_

" _The black one?"_ Iwakura asked. _"Yeah, I see it."_

" _The person in that car is a famous detective. She is watching your apartment."_

" _She's watching my place?"_ Iwakura asked. _"Why?"_

" _Why isn't important,"_ said Akira. _"I need you to distract her for me."_

" _And why the hell should I help you?"_

" _I saved your heart,"_ Akira said. _"Now, you owe me. Help me with this, and we'll call it even."_

Another pause on the end of the line. Akira could tell that Iwakura was thinking about it.

" _I've been in trouble with the cops once already,"_ Iwakura said. _"My old man'll kill me if it happens again."_

" _You won't be in trouble,"_ Akira said. _"She thinks she's protecting you. Act as if you're in danger. Pretend you're afraid of me. All you need to do is lure her away from her car."_

Iwakura fell silent for another long moment. _"Who are you anyway?"_ he asked.

" _I told you,"_ said Akira. _"We're the Phantom Thieves. Do we have a deal?"_

" _You really are the guys that busted Kamoshida?"_ asked Iwakura. _"…Fine. I'll help you. Gimme a sec."_

* * *

The Phantom Thieves piled into the van in a panic, Makoto leaping into the driver's seat without a word. She slammed her seatbelt into place, looking back at their pursuer. Haru and Futaba were lagging behind, running towards the van.

"Hurry up!" Makoto shouted.

Haru grit her teeth, leaping the last few feet. She nearly slipped, but managed to grab onto the door, hauling herself into the car. Futaba put on a burst of speed, breathing hard, her glasses askew. She tripped, falling forward. Akira leaned out of his seat, grabbing onto her forearms with both hands. Adrenaline fueled him, giving him the strength he needed to pull her into the car.

Yusuke leaned over him, slamming the van's door shut as soon as Futaba's feet were clear. The engine came to life with a roar, tires squealing as Makoto put the car in drive. It whipped around the corner with enough force to rattle them. Ann and Haru cried out from the backseat, Morgana yowled, and Akira, Yusuke, and Futaba went down in a tangle of limbs. The impact slammed Yusuke's elbow into Akira's ribs and knocked his head against the wall.

"We're being followed!" Haru warned from the back.

Morgana leaped into the backseat to get a better look. "It's that detective's car!"

Akira rubbed at the back of his head, sucking a breath through his teeth. He extricated himself from the tangle, sitting back up and looking over his shoulder. The black car pursued them, a large man hunched almost comically over in the front seat as it picked up speed.

"Are we _seriously_ being chased by some dude in a Prius?!" Ryuji asked.

Ann let out a gasp. "That's Kanji-san!" she said.

" _Who?!"_ asked Ryuji.

"The tailor!" said Ann.

"The what now?!"

"Everybody, _shut up_!" said Makoto, spinning the wheel. The van tore around a corner, narrowly dodging a line of parked cars. Ryuji let out a shout of fear, shrinking down into his seat and throwing his arms up over his head.

"Watch out, watch out, watch out!" he shouted.

"I _know_ how to drive, Ryuji!" Makoto growled in impatience. "Are we still being followed?"

"He's gaining!" said Ann.

"Not for long," said Makoto, her eyes on the road ahead. A busy intersection was coming up, and the light was yellow. Ryuji made a noise of uncertainty.

"Makoto…" he said. "Makoto, we're not gonna make it. _Makoto_ —!"

Makoto floored it, the van tearing through the intersection in the split second before the light changed to red. Four lanes of traffic surged in to fill the gap. Akira nearly let himself breath out a sigh of relief.

"He's still there!" Haru warned.

" _Effin' how?!"_ Ryuji asked.

Makoto let out a shout of rage, turning the wheel onto a highway express ramp. People yelped as she pulled onto the highway, cutting in front of speeding cars to pull into the left lane. In the backseat, Ann threw her arms over her head, taking cover as Makoto pushed the van for another burst of speed, the van rushing away.

* * *

By the time they were sure that they had lost their pursuit, everyone was shaken, and Makoto was breathing hard, half-slumped over the wheel. Akira wasn't sure where they were—Makoto had taken them on a few circuitous detours—but it looked like they were close to Akihabara.

Ryuji opened the door and slid out of the front seat, legs shaking. He gulped down a breath of air, leaning against the van. "Dude what the hell was that?" he asked. "That guy's a maniac!"

"At least we got away," said Ann, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Speak for yourself," said Morgana, stepping out of the car. His fur was standing in every direction. "My fur's all messed up!"

"I think I hit my head," groaned Futaba, pulling herself up off the floor, and up off of Yusuke, with a whimper. She curled up on the bench. Yusuke didn't move, except to make a pained sound. Futaba's eyes widened, and she poked him with her foot. "Inari?" she asked. "Inaaaaaari?"

Yusuke groaned, his face drawn and pale. His cheeks were tinged with green. "I can't go on…" he said, breathing ragged. "My time has come…Leave me to die…"

"You're not dead," said Ryuji, looking into the car. "Come on, bud. Get out of there."

Ann paused to look around, scanning the streets. She bit her lip, looking worried. "You don't think they got a clear look at us, do you?" she asked.

Haru looked back at Akira at Ann's words, a worried expression on her face. Makoto pressed her lips tightly together. Akira tugged at his hair, thinking. They had been on the ground floor by the time their pursuer burst out into the stairwell, and it had been dark. There was a good chance that he hadn't seen any of them. If he was wrong, though…

"Akira," Ann said, hugging her arms close to herself. "I'm working again this week."

"And Shirogane has Makoto's contact information," said Ryuji. "Plus, Haru's pretty well-known, and that's not even starting on you."

"It's likely that Akira will be their first suspect no matter what we do," said Morgana, pacing the street. "We should lie low for a little bit. Try not to be seen together in public."

"That would probably be best," said Makoto, letting out a breath. She looked back at Akira. "What do you think?"

Akira lowered his hands back to his side, straightening up. "Morgana's right," he said. "Let's go home. We'll keep a low profile tomorrow."

"I can't move…" Yusuke mumbled from where he was lying on the floor of the van.

"Inari's really out of it," said Futaba. "Maybe we should drive him back to the café and let him sleep it off in your room, Akira."

At the word 'drive', Yusuke went rigid.

"That won't be necessary!" he said, pushing himself up. His face paled, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Hrk!"

* * *

Naoto and Yu found Kanji pulled over by the side of the road, arguing with a traffic cop. Yu sighed at the sight, pulling over behind the police car. He got out, Naoto following him.

"Naoto! Senpai!" Kanji said, turning towards them. "Tell them I was helping with the case!"

Yu took his badge out of his pocket, showing it to the traffic cop. "He was working with us," Yu said, "Sorry about the inconvenience."

"Who are you supposed to be?" the policeman asked, scowling at him.

Naoto stepped forward, laying a placating hand on Yu's arm.

"I'll handle this," she said, approaching the policeman. A moment later, the traffic officer sighed and went back to his car, leaving the three of them alone by the side of the highway. Yu turned to look at Kanji, smiling faintly.

"A car chase?" he asked.

"What was I supposed to do?" Kanji asked, slipping his hands into his pockets and scowling at Yu. "Just let 'em drive off? I got the license plate at least."

"Indeed," said Naoto, checking her phone. "Although that only confirms what we already know." She looked up at Yu. "It was the same van. And according to this, that van hasn't left Yongen-jaya since this morning. By definition, both of those things cannot be true."

"They tampered with your equipment," said Yu.

Naoto nodded, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Most likely," she said.

"And we lost them," said Kanji with a sigh, looking dejected. "I'm sorry, Naoto."

"On the contrary, Kanji." Naoto smiled. "I think we just found them."

"What do you mean?" Yu asked, looking back at her.

"I'll explain later," said Naoto. "For now, this has given me a lot to think about. Shall we head back and meet tomorrow?"

* * *

 **Phantom Thieves Group Chat – 07/27**

 **Akira:** Did Yusuke get home alright?

 **Ryuji:** Yeah. Had to stop every few minutes so he could throw up. I ended up missing the last train.

 **Futaba:** You're a good friend, Ryuji.

 **Ryuji:** Tell that to my mom. She's pissed.

 **Ryuji:** Plus all the Kosei rich kids are giving me the evil eye.

 **Ryuji:**...Wait, Futaba!

 **Ryuji:** Don't actually text my mom!

 **Futaba:** Oops, too late!


	12. Tension

**A/N:** We're getting close to what I'm calling the one-quarter mark of the story. This has more to do with mood than length, although it might end up relating to length. The story has four distinct parts with their own conflicts/modes of resolution, so if you're worried that Yu has taken a back seat to Naoto, it's because she's sort of driving Part 1.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/27 (Thu)**_

 _ **Morning**_

* * *

Akira Kurusu woke up the next morning feeling like the world was holding his breath.

The first thing he did was reach for his phone, scrolling through the Phantom Thief group chat to see if anyone had left any alerts. The last messages were from last night, Makoto telling Haru that she had arrived home safely. He tapped out a quick message asking if Yusuke had made it back alright, then lowered his hand, letting his phone rest at his side as he stared up at the ceiling of his attic bedroom. As he moved, Morgana leaped up off of his chest, wordlessly keeping watch by the staircase. Akira thought that he needed to get out of bed, to do something similar, but he felt touched by an odd sense of fatalism.

They'd done all they could to minimize the damage. Now there wasn't anything left to do but wait.

 _They'll make their move today,_ he thought, assuming they had any information to go off at all. _I should be ready._

The sound of Sojiro's voice came up from the shop downstairs, his tone uncommonly angry for this time of the morning. Akira sighed, running a hand through his hair and pushing himself up to his feet.

* * *

"I just want a cup of coffee," Yu Narukami said, standing across the counter from Sojiro with a genial smile on his face. "I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"This is private property, and I reserve the right to refuse service to _anyone_ ," said Sojiro. "So unless you have a warrant, Officer, get your coffee somewhere else."

"I'm not going to hurt him—," Narukami began.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but get out of my shop," said Sojiro, scowling. "I told you before, you're not welcome—."

Sojiro froze as Akira walked casually down the stairs, nodding at him. His expression grew exasperated, and he ran a hand over his face. "Just this once, Akira…" Sojiro said. "You couldn't stay out of it just this once?"

Akira decided against responding to that for now, turning towards Yu. He nodded at the door that led out into the street. "Let's talk outside, Officer," he said.

Yongen-jaya in the early morning was cool, with none of the mugginess that it would take on later in the day. Akira leaned against the shop wall as the door closed behind him, Morgana winding his way around his ankles. He did his best to put on an air of aloof disdain, looking up at Yu from beneath his dark hair.

"You didn't bring the detective," Akira said.

Narukami smiled. It was the sort of smile that made him look trustworthy, open and friendly. Even under the best of circumstances, Akira had never been able to manage anything close. If anything, it only served to put him further on his guard. The last person he had known who could smile like that had been Akechi.

"I wanted to talk to you alone, Kurusu-kun," Narukami said.

Which meant that he and Shirogane thought that Akira would be more likely to give Narukami information if he was approached like a friend. The 'good cop, bad cop' routine was so rote that it was almost cliché.

Akira found himself searching for an avenue of escape before he even knew that he was doing it. If he went back into the shop, Narukami likely wouldn't follow without going through the proper channels, although if he forced the police to come into Leblanc after him, it would only cause Sojiro more trouble. But they were outside, standing in broad daylight in a public place. If Narukami wanted to hurt him, he likely wouldn't do this here.

"I already told you," Akira said, "you're wasting your time."

Instead of answering, Narukami's eyes swept the street, lingering on the place where the van had once been parked. Akira didn't know what clued him in, but at that moment, he had a disturbing realization. Naoto Shirogane might have been the detective, but he'd be making a mistake if he underestimated Yu Narukami.

"That van's not here anymore," Narukami said.

"What van?" Akira asked.

"The blue van that used to be parked here," said Narukami. "Didn't it belong to you?"

Akira shrugged. "It's a public street."

"Where were you last night, if you don't mind my asking?" said Narukami.

Akira recognized the behavior for what it was. Fishing. He wasn't being arrested today, which meant that even if both he and Narukami knew very well where he had been last night and what had happened, Narukami didn't have the sort of evidence that would be admissible in court. And Akira certainly wasn't going to give him that.

"Out with my girlfriend," he said. He let out an irritated sigh. "Because it's summer vacation, and I haven't seen her in months. Not that it's any of your business, Ace."

Narukami returned the sigh, part of his composed exterior crumbling away. A genuine show of emotion, or a calculated move? Akira wasn't sure. "I'm not your enemy, Kurusu-kun."

"I've heard that before," said Akira. The bitterness in his voice was real, and a slight miscalculation on his part. The memory of his capture from last year was still all too real.

Narukami looked almost pained. "Yes," he said. "I'm sure you have. I looked into your case."

"Yeah?" Akira asked. "Find anything interesting?"

"You claimed to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves," Narukami said, giving him a strained smile. "But I couldn't find any information about how you changed people's hearts. I was hoping you could tell me."

"I don't know what you mean," said Akira.

"We can keep talking in circles," Narukami said. "Or you can listen to me. We aren't your enemies. You and I both know that something strange is happening in this city. Help us understand what it is."

"And if I've done nothing wrong, I have nothing to fear?" Akira asked, unable to help the slight mocking edge that crept into his voice. "Yeah. That's a new one. If you aren't going to arrest me, we're done here." He turned away from Narukami, turning back towards the café.

"We aren't as different as you might think," said Narukami, making Akira stop. "What really happened in Tokyo last year, Akira?"

"I don't know, _Yu_ ," said Akira, looking over his shoulder and fixing Narukami with a glare. "What really happened in Inaba?"

Narukami hesitated, his eyes flickering to the pavement for a moment. It was a hesitation that Akira marked. He scowled, turning back around and walking away.

* * *

 _ **Daytime**_

Makoto scanned through the Phantom Thief chat for what seemed like the tenth time, holding her breath. She let out a sigh of relief at the lack of new messages, her eyes drifting towards her front door. She drummed her fingers against the arm of the couch, the television droning on beside her. It was tuned to the news, a newscaster going on about the economy.

Nothing about the Phantom Thieves. Not yet.

Still…she didn't like all of this waiting.

The doorknob rattled, and Makoto jumped, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. She turned towards it with wide eyes as it opened.

"Makoto?" Sae asked, stepping into the apartment. "You're still here."

Makoto breathed out and tried to relax, realizing that she was holding her phone in a vise-grip. She let go of it, letting it fall to the seat beside her. "S-Sis," she said. "You're home early."

"I had to pick something up." Sae frowned, noticing Makoto's posture. She tilted her head to the side. "Makoto? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Makoto said, smiling. "Nothing to worry about."

"You're not out with your friends?" Sae asked.

"I thought I'd—get some reading done for next term," said Makoto.

Sae looked around the room, taking in the television, the lack of any reading material anywhere in sight. Inwardly, Makoto winced. As far as lies went, it wasn't one of her better ones. She could tell that it hadn't worked by the way Sae's brow furrowed. Makoto braced herself for another argument, but Sae only sighed, shaking her head.

"Alright," she said, picking up a file folder that had been left on the end table nearest the door. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't," Makoto promised.

"And Makoto?" Sae paused on her way out, looking back at her sister. "If anything happens, you can talk to me…alright?"

Makoto pressed her lips tightly together, wondering where to start. It wasn't as if there was anything Sae could do to help at this point. Bringing her into this would only cause her trouble, and they'd certainly all had enough of that.

But Sae was on her way out the door, and they didn't have time to talk about this. So instead, Makoto only nodded her head.

"Alright."

* * *

Futaba sat curled up in her chair, the door to her bedroom closed and her air-conditioner humming away. A treasure trove of information was displayed on her screen—the files that she had been able to access from Naoto Shirogane's computer. The computer hadn't been active in the past twelve hours or so, and the information that was on there was somewhat incomplete, but she'd obtained enough files to do some detective work on her own.

Most of the information was from older cases, high profile investigations that Shirogane had been involved in in the last three years. All of the files were neatly arranged by case and date, with several subfolders for various people and locations involved in the cases. She'd learned enough looking up the news articles that followed those cases to follow Shirogane's train of thought. Most of the time, her reasoning was clear and logical, but occasionally, she reached conclusions that were nothing short of genius. Futaba took a sip of fruit juice, impressed. Naoto Shirogane seemed to be the real deal.

There was a folder separate from the case notes, labeled 'Plans'. Futaba clicked on it, smiling as she opened up a schematic of the same bug she and Yusuke had pulled from the van.

"Huh…" she said, "I thought that looked homemade. Let's see what else you have in here, Miss Detective."

She wiggled her fingers, flipping through the schematics in the plans folder. Most of them were for things like old-fashioned spy gear, watches that could talk to each other, hidden cameras, that sort of thing. There was one set of plans that seemed to be for a model robot, which made Futaba grin. When she backed out of that folder, she found another folder of pictures that mostly showed Shirogane spending her time with an old man that looked like her grandfather, and the big guy from the car chase—Kanji, according to Ann.

In a lot of the pictures, the two of them looked pretty close. In one picture, it was winter, and Naoto was wearing a knit cap with what looked like cat ears. Her face was red, and she looked absolutely embarrassed to be caught in the photograph. Kanji had an arm around her, taking the picture. In another picture, she was hunched over a desk, assembling a model with a look of intense concentration on her face, a jacket about three sizes too big for her draped over her shoulders.

"So even you have a personal life, hmm…?" Futaba said, looking at the pictures.

She went back to the case notes, sorting them by date modified. There seemed to be a lull between the files that Naoto had assembled for her previous case, some three months ago in Osaka, and the files in Tokyo. The Tokyo folder was sparse, with one file containing links to newspaper articles that referenced the Phan-Site and the Phantom Thieves and another containing a scattered assortment of police reports on Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro and Okumura.

It was only when she clicked on the last folder that things got interesting.

Futaba's eyes widened, and she moved closer to her screen.

"Huh…" she said. "Now why are _you_ looking into Akechi?"

* * *

 _Naoto came to breakfast with a handful of files and photographs, spreading them across Rise's kitchen table. Rise glanced at them over her cup of coffee as Yu moved to help Kanji unpack the food he and Naoto had brought from the convenience store. As Naoto worked, Rise watched her. She had dark circles under her eyes that suggested she hadn't gotten much sleep, but she moved with renewed purpose and intensity, spreading out the photographs._

" _Given the events of last night, I believe I have some ideas about the identity of the Phantom Thieves," Naoto said. "I'll need to do a little more work to be sure, but I believe that they're primarily a group of youths, at least seven in number, all centered around their leader, Akira Kurusu."_

 _She touched one of the photographs of a dark-haired young man in a Tokyo high school uniform, looking sullenly at the camera. Rise folded her arms, frowning._

" _I don't understand," she said. "I thought the Phantom Thieves were_ helping _people like Masaru-kun and Hitani."_

" _If we can take their actions at face value, they are," said Naoto. "But the fact that they've been able to help those people in that way suggests that they have more information on the cause of this phenomenon than we do. And at the moment, they're a dangerous unknown force in this case. I'd much rather be clear on where they stand than continue to be at odds in this manner."_

" _And they did break into that apartment building," Kanji pointed out._

" _Indeed," said Naoto. "So it's clear that their methods tend towards the…less than legal. There's also…" She frowned, trailing off. Rise watched her, brow furrowing._

" _What?" she asked. "There's also what?"_

" _Don't worry about it," said Naoto, shaking her head. "A different case, and unrelated. At the moment, all I have is speculation."_

" _I'll try to talk to Kurusu today," Yu said, peeling apples and cutting them into slices. "I've been thinking about this since last night. If you're right about them being Persona-users, I might be able to reach him."_

" _That's a good idea," said Naoto, nodding. "It may also be wise to reach out to one more of their number. Not too many, though. If we show our hand too early, we'll likely spook them into inaction."_

" _Too many?" Rise asked, resting her hands on her hips and giving Naoto a fond smile. "How many of them do you have figured out, Naoto-kun?"_

 _Kanji snorted, moving past with a tray. "Oh, don't get her started, Rise," he said. "She was up half the night mumbling about 'connections'."_

" _I slept at a reasonable hour," Naoto protested, eyes widening._

" _Sure," Kanji said. "If you were a vampire anyway." To Rise, he added. "Pretty sure she was talkin' about the case in her sleep too."_

 _Naoto's face flushed. "R-Regardless," she said, "Aside from Kurusu, I'm fairly certain about the identities of three others, simply based off the details of their previous cases. The others are more nebulous, but I feel as if I'm approaching a solution."_

" _Hey wait, I know that kid," said Kanji, setting the tray down on the table. He bent over to pick up the mug shot, frowning. "That's Ann-chan's boyfriend. Didn't know he had a record. Guess it takes all types, huh, Naoto?"_

 _Naoto stopped talking, turning towards Kanji. "Ann…chan?" she repeated._

The lounge was relatively full of people around lunch time, and Rise's arrival caused quite a stir. One of the models standing nearest her dropped her chopsticks, and Rise caught her nudging her friends out of the corner of her eye. Rise smiled, raising her hand in a wave. The group, who couldn't be older than high school students, stared at her with wide eyes. A group of girls from her video passed her on her left, greeting her shyly as they went. Rise acknowledged the greeting with a nod of her head, continuing to walk.

While the building she worked in hosted several talent agencies besides Takura Productions, most of the big-name talent ate lunch at their studios, or at a smaller, more private lounge area closer to the roof. It was rare that anyone really notable came to eat here, where anyone could be taking pictures. Already, Rise had caught telltale glimpses of cellphone cameras being covertly pointed at her. She had a feeling a few candid photographs would be finding their way onto social media before all this was done, and stood up straighter, moving like she was on stage as she scanned the room for her quarry.

All things considered, she wasn't that hard to find. Natural blond hair like that stood out in a place like this.

She was seated alone at one of the tables, idly picking food out of a bento box while scrolling through her phone. She didn't notice Rise until Rise was practically standing in front of her, at which point her mouth dropped open, and she seemed on the verge of dropping her chopsticks too. Rise smiled.

"Takamaki-san, right?" Rise asked. "Is this seat taken?"

* * *

 _ **Evening**_

Akira spent the rest of the day working in the shop, trying to project an air of calm and trying not to jump every time the front door opened. He was confident that the customers didn't notice anything strange, but Sojiro gave him an odd look as Leblanc closed for the day, reminding him to stay out of trouble. Once Sojiro had left, Akira locked up and took his laptop down into one of the booths. He turned it on, settling into his seat as Morgana curled up on the tabletop, both of their eyes on the screen.

Futaba patched him into the call almost instantly. Ryuji, Haru, and Yusuke were already there.

"Everyone alright?" Akira asked.

"Fine," said Ryuji, sounding tired. "Mom was a little suspicious about me staying home, so I ended up hanging out at the arcade in Shibuya. Kept jumping every time a cop passed by, though. How about you guys?"

"I spent my day painting," said Yusuke. "There were no irregularities."

"I'm fine as well," Haru said. "I mostly stayed home today and worked in my garden. No sign of anything suspicious."

"And the van?" Akira asked.

"Still in the garage," said Haru. "I'm having it cleaned right now."

"Thanks for taking care of that," said Morgana. "It would have been a problem if that van stayed out on the street."

"Not a problem at all," said Haru. "I'm happy to help."

"I found something interesting," said Futaba. "But I'm going to wait for the others. Speaking of which—Makoto and Ann coming in around… _now_."

A chime sounded as two more people appeared in the call. Makoto let out a sigh. "Sis is home right now, so I'm at a café," she said. "I'm using headphones, but keep that in mind."

"I'm in public as well," said Yusuke. "I'm making use of the Kosei Academy computer lab. At the moment, however, I seem to be the only one here."

"We really need to get you a PC, Inari," said Futaba. "You know, there are some cheap builds I can look into…"

"Guys, focus," said Ann, sounding tense and a little annoyed. "Important business here?"

Akira frowned. "Something wrong, Ann?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll say," said Ann. "You guys aren't going to _believe_ who tried to talk to me at work today."

"Who?" Morgana asked.

"Rise Kujikawa!"

"Wait," said Ryuji. " _The_ Risette?!"

"How many Rise Kujikawas do you know, Ryuji?" asked Ann. "You didn't forget that she's Narukami's girlfriend, did you?"

"What, no, I didn't forget!" said Ryuji. "I was just wondering, that's all."

"What did she want to talk about?" Makoto asked.

"Something about being interested in my work and wanting to chat sometime," said Ann. "She gave me her business card—."

"—You have Risette's _phone number_?!" Ryuji broke in.

"Focus, Ryuji!" said Ann. "Anyway, something she said really got to me."

"What did she say?" asked Haru.

"She said," said Ann, "that people like us really need to develop our public _'personas'_."

The chat went silent. Akira drummed his fingers on the tabletop as he thought, feeling a creeping sense of dread. It was Yusuke who spoke first.

"Is there…any chance that might be a coincidence?" he asked.

"It might be," said Ann. "But the way she said it…I think they're on to us."

"They're definitely on to us," said Akira, drawing the chat to silence again. He told them about his meeting this morning, about Narukami. When he finished, it was a while before anyone spoke again.

"Well," said Ryuji. "This is—uh—pretty bad, isn't it?"

"Not exactly," said Makoto. "There _is_ a bright side to this."

"And what is that?" asked Yusuke.

"If Narukami's fishing around for answers, he doesn't have enough evidence to go after us directly," said Morgana.

"Kind of a slim bright side," said Ryuji. "But, hey, I'll take what I can get."

"Futaba," said Yusuke. "You mentioned that you had news?"

"Huh?" Futaba asked. "Oh, yeah! Right. It's just something interesting I found while looking through that detective's files. Apparently, she's really interested in Akechi."

"Akechi?" Ann asked. "Why would she be looking into him?"

"It makes sense," said Makoto. "He's a loose end, all things considered."

"Well, hopefully it keeps her busy for a little bit longer," said Futaba. "Her computer's been off most of the day, so I don't have anything else. What I _do_ have, though, is all the information on Keita Nakahara."

"Right," said Ryuji. "Iwakura's friend. Are we still going after him?"

"That _is_ the best lead we currently have," said Yusuke.

"But if we take any action, we risk drawing more attention to ourselves," said Makoto. "That's something we need to take into account."

"If we _don't_ do anything, though, we're not going to be able to help those people," said Ann.

"I agree," said Haru. "Whatever's causing these incidents needs to be stopped."

"The stakes are getting higher," said Morgana. "What do you think, Akira?"

Akira folded his arms, thinking. If they went after Nakahara, there was a chance the detectives would catch them. But if they didn't, whatever entity was affecting Nakahara and the others would only grow stronger.

"It has to be unanimous," he said. "That's how we work, isn't it?"

"I'm for it," Ann said. "Let's do it."

"I agree with Ann-chan," said Haru.

"Given the circumstances," said Yusuke, "I'm also inclined to agree. Cowering has never suited us. I say we push on ahead."

"I'm with Yusuke," said Ryuji. "We're the Phantom Thieves, dammit. Screw 'em."

"We'll have to be more careful," said Makoto. "And we might have to retire the van. But yes, I agree."

"I'm in if you guys are," said Futaba. "Mona?"

"Of course," said Morgana.

"Then it's unanimous," said Makoto. "The plan, Akira?"

"Meet at the hideout tomorrow," said Akira. "In the meantime, we'll think about strategies."

"Sounds good," said Makoto. "See you then."

One by one, each of them disconnected from the call, until Akira was left staring at his desktop background. He frowned, tugging at a lock of his hair.

An entity, taking control of people. The house that he saw in Iwakura's remnant. And Narukami and his crew, inching ever closer.

The conversation had certainly given him a lot to think about. He got to his feet, heading back up to his room.

* * *

 _Primary Candidates:_

Naoto frowned at the list of names beneath that heading, tapping her pen beside each one as she considered them. She was seated at her desk, her laptop powered down beside her. The first name on the list, Akira Kurusu, was self-explanatory. The next two, Futaba Sakura and Makoto Niijima, were more speculative, based on the events at the police station the day before.

Futaba Sakura, the reclusive adoptive daughter of Sojiro Sakura, had a reputation for being 'good with computers'. In addition, her biological mother, Wakaba Isshiki, had been involved in cognitive psience research. Her closeness to both Kurusu and the Shido case, and her unique set of skills, made her a prime candidate for 'Alibaba' as well as 'Medjed'.

Makoto Niijima was harder to pin down. It wasn't simply the timing of Alibaba's phone call—Naoto would have attributed that to chance on any other day. It was something that Makoto had said, a change in her demeanor that had stuck in Naoto's mind since their meeting, a sense of wrongness that Naoto hadn't been able to place until now.

" _You shouldn't have to change. It's society that needs changing…"_

What was the motivation of the Phantom Thieves, if not to reform society? And if Makoto Niijima was a Phantom Thief, it stood to reason that her laptop had been tampered with. Naoto had avoided using it for most of the day for that reason, only turning it on around lunchtime to avoid tipping off anyone who might be watching her.

After Makoto, the other names on the list simply followed a cause and effect chain of connection. Ann Takamaki was Akira Kurusu's girlfriend, which meant that even if she _wasn't_ a Phantom Thief, it was likely that she knew who they were. And Rise had mentioned feeling _something_ in her meeting with Takamaki, something akin to power. Ryuji Sakamoto and Yuuki Mishima were both Kurusu's friends at Shujin, and both were involved in the Kamoshida case. Yusuke Kitagawa was Madarame's pupil, and the only possible way such an...elaborate copy of Madarame's Sayuri could have found its way into Leblanc. Haru Okumura was the only connection to Kunikazu Okumura, and Goro Akechi…

Naoto frowned, encircling that name.

She still wasn't sure about that one. Alibaba's words came back to her from their phone conversation the day before.

" _You can't be trusted."_

Why? Because she was a detective? Because she had once been the Detective Prince?

Either way everything—her opinion of them, her understanding of the case—boiled down to what the Phantom Thieves had done to Goro Akechi.

"… _This must be a luxury suite. Most hospital wards don't have such large televisions…"_

It was interesting how those words always rang in her head, in moments like this.

" _Why, with something like this in the room, this man could escape at any time. Although once he enters, he may find there's no way out…"_

* * *

The sound of a scooter drew Yosuke's attention to the diner's entrance. He and Yukiko looked up from the table, watching as Chie walked into Aiya, still dressed her uniform. She waved at them, grinning.

"Hey," she said, dropping down into the empty seat. "I'm starved! This better be _my_ beef bowl, Yosuke."

"Yeah, yeah," said Yosuke, waving his hand. "Just don't forget to pay me back tomorrow."

"What's that?" Chie asked, taking a bite. "I didn't hear you. Mmm, meat~"

Yukiko giggled. Yosuke sighed. "Come on," he said. "Give me a break."

"We were just talking about tomorrow, Chie-chan," Yukiko said. "Are you ready for the trip?"

"Yup," Chie said, around a mouthful of beef and rice. "Got everything all packed up, and a _ton_ of presents for Yu from Dojima-san and Nanako-chan. What about you guys?"

"I'm ready as well," said Yukiko. "It's exciting, isn't it? I can't remember the last time I've been to Tokyo."

"Tell me about it," said Yosuke. "It's definitely gonna be a change from this place."

"You love Inaba, don't deny it," said Chie, giving Yosuke a teasing grin. "So, anything on the Ted front?"

"Nothing," said Yosuke, sighing. "I went knocking on every TV in Junes. One of the part-timers came in after closing and thought I'd lost it."

"I'm sure he'll turn up," said Yukiko.

"Yeah," said Yosuke, shaking his head. "When we least expect it."

"At the worst possible time," said Chie, nodding. "That sounds like Teddie."

They fell silent, taking in the sounds of Inaba, the hushed conversations of people around them, the cicadas humming in the street just outside the shop. At this time of night, there were hardly any cars. Chie took a bite of food.

"So," she said, "Tomorrow, huh?"

Yukiko nodded. "Tomorrow."

Tokyo. So close by train, but an entirely different world. Who knew what they would find there?

Chie grinned. At the very least, it was going to be an adventure.


	13. Power

**A/N:** Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I've been knee-deep in a family reunion/vacation, and despite my sneaking a minute here and there to write, I haven't had as much time as I normally do. This is going to keep up for the next week or so, but things should even out again towards the end of June.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/28 (Fri)**_

 _ **Daytime**_

When Akira opened the door to Untouchable that morning, the last thing he expected to see was Naoto Shirogane standing by the counter next to Iwai, testing the weight and feel of a replica revolver. Akira hesitated in the doorway, holding onto the glass, uncertain whether to enter the shop or to turn around and run.

"Very nice," she said, holding it up closer to herself to inspect the sights. "Customizable, I assume?"

"That model?" Iwai asked, with the sort of casualness that he only showed towards true enthusiasts. "Sure, you could probably customize it. We can sell you the parts."

"I appreciate the thought, but I'd rather take this home," said Naoto. "I may have some parts with me that would work just fine. Ah, Kurusu-kun—," She turned towards him, eyes widening as if noticing him for the first time. "—I did not expect to run into you here."

Iwai's eyes narrowed at the expression on his face. Akira kept his eyes on the ground as he stepped into the store, tugging at his hair while the door swung shut behind him. He could feel the weight of Iwai's gaze on him, long and lingering, before he looked back at Naoto.

"The kid works here," he said. "One of my part-timers. You two know each other?"

"We're acquainted," said Naoto. She gave Akira a smile that was a touch too close to condescending for his tastes. "It seems you're quite the busy young man."

"I do odd jobs here and there," said Akira, shrugging.

Naoto's smile widened a fraction, the corner of her lip twitching. "I don't doubt," she said. "I've heard about some of your escapades. I must say, for someone with your…reputation, working at such a shop seems a little on the nose, doesn't it?"

"This coming from the person shopping here," said Akira, inclining his head towards the revolver in Naoto's hand. "Never really pegged you for the survival game type, Detective Shirogane."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Kurusu-kun," said Naoto. The weight of the gun was comfortable in her hand, her finger resting flat across the gun near, but not directly curled around, the trigger. The unspoken threat made him tense, but Naoto only inclined her head towards him briefly, turning to face Iwai. "How much did I owe you for the gun, Iwai-san?"

While Iwai rang her up, Akira walked past her, slipping unchallenged into the back room of the shop. He let the door close behind him, dropping his bag to the ground, and didn't walk out again until he heard Naoto leave. When he stepped out, Iwai was sighing, one hand on the back of his neck as he glanced at Akira from behind the counter.

"Hiding in the shadows again, kid?" he asked. "You in some kind of trouble?"

"Same old," said Akira. "You know she works with the police, right?"

"I don't ask my customers too many questions," Iwai said. His eyes narrowed warningly. "And I don't talk about them either."

"Fair enough," said Akira. "Thanks for covering for me."

Iwai shrugged, taking his lollipop out of his mouth. "It wasn't a lie," he said. "So what'll it be?"

"The usual," said Akira. "I want to see your new catalog, and I'm in the market for a pistol."

"A pistol, hmm?" said Iwai, already handing a catalog to Akira from the other side of the counter. "Well, I have a new model in stock that might work for you…"

* * *

The train from Inaba was arriving at Shinjuku Station at around two o'clock in the afternoon. Rather than worrying about transfers and getting lost, Yu and the others had decided that the best thing to do was to go down to the station and pick them up. What Yu hadn't expected was that Naoto, Kanji, and Rise would all want to come. They ended up taking two cars, with Yu taking Rise with him in the undercover police car he'd been loaned for this case and Naoto taking Kanji along in their rental.

Now the four of them stood on the platform, waiting for the train. Rise scanned the platform eagerly, incognito in a hood and dark sunglasses, while Kanji busied himself with trying out his luck at a set of capsule prize machines.

"Oh, those are so cute!" said Rise, when she realized what Kanji was doing. She touched one of the designs on the poster, a golden one shaped like a bear, and wrapped one arm around Yu's own. "I want _that_ one. Can you get it for me, Yu?"

"You'll be here a long time," said Naoto, scanning the poster. "That's one of the rarest prizes in this set. The odds of acquiring it randomly are one in a thousand."

"Eh, come here and give it a try, Senpai," said Kanji, shaking the capsule that he had received. He took out the prize, a small pink frog-like creature, and squinted at it as he held it up to the light. "Y'never know. At least we can send a whole bunch back for Nanako-chan."

Yu smiled, thinking of his younger cousin, who probably had an entire shelf filled with cute things from Tokyo, Naoto's gadgets, and Kanji's handmade items by now. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet, and fed a hundred yen coin into the capsule machine. Just as he was turning the crank, Rise let out a high-pitched squeal, releasing his arm.

"The train's here!" she said.

Yu looked over his shoulder as the crowded train came to a stop, letting hordes of visitors to the city out onto the platform. He scanned the crowd eagerly and spotted Chie, Yukiko and Yosuke leaving one of the cars, each of them carrying a small roller bag. Chie was pulling Yosuke out of the train by the wrist, a grin on her face as Yukiko followed, smiling primly.

Chie and Rise saw each other at the same time, their eyes widening.

"Chie-senpai!" Rise exclaimed, launching herself at Chie.

"Rise!" said Chie, letting go of Yosuke to run to meet her. Yosuke stumbled forward, catching himself before he slammed his face into the platform floor.

"Hey—!" he shouted, but Chie was already gone, being enveloped by Rise in a tight hug. Before anyone could say anything, Rise let out another excited squeal, launching herself at Yukiko and throwing her arms around the other girl.

"Yukiko-senpai! It's so nice to see all of you! Ah, you haven't changed a bit! How are you still so slender? You have to tell me your secrets—Chie, I _love_ your new haircut!"

"It's—it's great to see you too, Rise-chan," said Yukiko, patting her awkwardly on the back. "You know, you don't have to call us 'senpai' anymore."

"Oops, sorry, Yukiko-chan," said Rise, giggling. She extricated herself from Yukiko. "Force of habit."

"What?" Yosuke asked, giving Rise a look. "I don't get a hug?"

Yu spread his arms wide in invitation, keeping his expression deadpan.

"Not from you!" said Yosuke angrily.

Rise smiled and shook her head, giving Yosuke a quick embrace. "It's nice to see you too, Yosuke-kun."

Yosuke pouted. "You can still call me senpai," he said.

Yu let his arms fall back to his sides with a disappointed frown.

* * *

A handful of car rides later, Chie and Yukiko were settled in Yu's old apartment and a bed for Yosuke had been made up on Rise's living room couch. Yosuke was sitting on it, his suitcase lying open at his feet, while Yu sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. The sound of giggling and laughter emanated from somewhere in the vicinity of the bedroom.

"Whoa," said Yosuke, looking over at the window from the back of the couch. "The view here is seriously awesome, partner. I don't _want_ to know how much this place costs to rent."

"Ask Rise," said Yu, gesturing at the bedroom door with his cup of coffee. "You've seen my apartment."

"Why don't you just live here?" Yosuke asked.

Yu shrugged. "Bad for Rise's image," he said.

"And _this_ is okay?" Yosuke asked, gesturing at the two of them.

"It's a temporary situation."

"Yeah, yeah," said Yosuke. He reached into the bag, drawing out a bundle wrapped in brown paper. He started to unwind the twine that bound the bundle together. "Speaking of which, I stopped by Daidara's place on the way out and picked up some new knives. What d'you think?" He pulled out one of the two daggers lying on the sheet, holding it up for inspection. It was a Japanese-style tanto, with a dragon winding its way around the tsuba. "Pretty slick, huh?"

"Oh, good," Naoto said before Yu could say anything, stepping out of the bedroom with Kanji and the others behind her. "You're armed. Keep those close; you might need them later." To Yu, she added, "Everything's ready for tonight's operation. If my hunch is correct, they'll target one of Yuichi Iwakura's companions—Kaoru Watabe, Hiroshi Nagano, or Keita Nakahara."

"But you don't know which one?" Yukiko asked, stepping out into the living room.

Naoto shook her head. She reached her hand up, as if about to adjust the brim of a hat she wasn't wearing, and frowned in confusion, settling for tugging on a lock of her hair. "Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing which one the Phantom Thieves will target next," she said. "So the best thing to do would be to observe them all."

"Ooh," said Chie. "Are we doing a stakeout? I love stakeouts!"

"You just love them because they sound like 'steak'," said Yosuke.

"We'll divide into teams," said Naoto. "Yu, Rise, and myself will be on separate teams, given that we know our way around the city best. Chie, you don't technically have any jurisdiction in Tokyo, but you're still a police officer. You'll be on Rise's team."

"Roger," said Chie, grinning.

"Yosuke, you'll be with Chie," said Naoto.

"What?" Yosuke asked. "Why?!"

Naoto smiled. "Ease of long partnership," she said. "You two do know each other quite well, after all."

Yosuke let out a resigned sigh. "She's just going to go all wild west sheriff on me again," he said. "We're never going to catch them."

"Not with that attitude, partner," said Chie, grinning.

"So Yukiko will be on my team?" Yu asked. "Since you and Kanji are probably going to work together."

"That's right," said Naoto, nodding. "Remember, our objective isn't to arrest the Phantom Thieves, but to understand their motivations and their methods. If their intentions truly are noble and we can get them to cooperate, it's possible that we could even work together. Yosuke, I'll lend you the keys to my rental car."

"Yeah, yeah," said Yosuke, sighing. He looked up sharply, eyes widening. "Wait a minute. If I'm taking your rental, and Yu's got the police car, what are you and Kanji gonna drive?"

Naoto and Kanji exchanged glances, both of them smiling. "Why don't you let us worry about that?" Naoto asked.

* * *

 _ **Evening**_

The motorcycle rolled to a stop on a dark side street not far from Keita Nakahara's house. Naoto straightened up, leaning forward to put one foot on the pavement as she swept the helmet off her head, shaking out her long dark hair. Behind her, Kanji released his hold on her shoulder, reaching back to check on the wrapped shield strapped across his jacket. Naoto let her hand drift over the comforting weight of the airsoft revolver, hidden beneath the back of her own riding jacket, then straightened up, scanning the street.

The night was peaceful and dark, with no sign of the Phantom Thieves, but Naoto could feel an energy in the air, a crackling certainty that had almost nothing to do with how she had run into Akira Kurusu in the airsoft shop earlier that day.

They were close, she thought. So very close.

She wouldn't be surprised if they cracked the case tonight.

The sound of an electronic chirp drew her attention, and she glanced behind her to see Kanji scrolling through the messages on his cellphone.

"Senpai and Chie both checked in," he said. "They're all in position."

"Tell them we are as well," said Naoto, swinging her leg over the side of the bike and planting her feet firmly on the sidewalk. She looked back down the road that they had come along, considering the distance. Hiroshi Nagano, one of Keita Nakahara's friends, lived within walking distance of him. If they needed reinforcements, Yu would be only a phone call away, and vice versa. She had a feeling Yu was thinking along the same lines.

"On it," said Kanji. His thumb moved across the screen in a rapid motion before he slipped the phone back into his pocket, putting it away. He raised his head, scanning the street the same way she had, his brow furrowing. "No sign of that van this time."

"If I'm right, they're no longer using it," said Naoto. "But…" She reached into a pocket, drawing out a pair of blue glasses and unfolding them, "we'll see what there is to see."

* * *

If Yuichi Iwakura's Shadow had fought them wearing the guise of an ancient warrior, Keita Nakahara's Shadow looked more like a Norse god, musclebound and clad in gleaming armor, with an array of smaller minions chained to him and doing his bidding. Joker, taking stock of this, thought that the summoned monsters probably represented Iwakura and his friends, which did nothing to improve his opinion of Nakahara. He broke the chain between Nakahara and one of the monsters himself, leaving it to Fox to take the monster down as he charged at Nakahara.

He dodged a swipe of Nakahara's sword, placing a hand on the Shadow's forearm and using it to launch himself into the air. Electricity crackled along Nakahara's armor just as Joker touched it, lancing through him. He grit his teeth as the force of power threw him off of Nakahara, his muscles seizing up and limbs going rigid. The ground rose up to meet him entirely too fast and he braced himself against the impact as he struck the ground hard.

He heard Noir and Panther shout for him, heard Oracle's voice in his ear, and then suddenly Noir had summoned Astarte and the heaviness left his limbs, letting him roll nimbly onto his feet and out of the way of Nakahara's sword blow. Nakahara raised his sword, chasing him, but before Joker could even raise a knife to block, Fox was stepping in, putting himself between Joker and Nakahara. His sword gleamed, coming halfway out of its sheath as he blocked the blow.

Joker didn't hesitate, running out of the way. While Fox, Noir and Panther were busy with Nakahara, Joker raised his hand to his face, switching out Arsene's mask for Ishtar's. He felt the new Persona's presence settle into the back of his mind, felt its power suffuse him as he charged forward, placing a hand on Nakahara's shoulder to launch himself into the air.

This time, when electricity shot through Nakahara's armor, the charge came to a stop against his skin, diffused completely. Joker shot forward, undaunted, his knife cutting through the thread above Nakahara's head.

When he felt the anger of that entity wash over him, Joker was ready. He reached out, grabbing hold of the cut end of the string before it could pull away.

A jolt that had nothing to do with electricity passed through his body and Joker grit his teeth against the pain. It felt like something was tugging at his soul, trying to separate it from his body, and the only thing that held him together was the familiar press of the mask against his face. The world around him dissolved into red and black, a swirl of color, sound and sensation, and it was all he could do to hold on.

And then the world was clear again, and he was dangling in the air, one gloved hand wrapped around the thread like a lifeline. He was hovering in front of a red house beneath a red and black sky, black tendrils crawling along the walls of the house like centipedes. The house's windows were black, and looking at them, Joker had the sense that he was looking into the heart of a living thing, something that pulsed and breathed and thought, and that regarded him with just as much contempt.

Then he looked up and almost immediately regretted his decision.

There was _something_ hovering in the air above the house, something enormous and oppressive, and the thread that Joker was dangling on was attached to the tip of one of its giant claws. It looked—it looked like a spider.

And as Joker turned to look at it, it turned a single red eye on him.

Joker's eyes widened, the thread slipping from his grasp as he lost his grip. He saw the thing swipe at him, but it missed as the darkness swallowed him up again. When he hit the ground, it was the floor of Nakahara's remnant that he was lying on, the other Phantom Thieves clustered around him.

"Joker!" Panther said, shouldering her way past Fox and Noir and running towards him, one hand outstretched. "Joker, are you alright?"

Was he alright? Joker could still feel his head swimming, could still feel the weight of that presence bearing down on him, and there was something else, something that encounter had lent him, something that made his heart race with the thrill.

"I'm fine," he said, clasping Panther's hand. There was a pain in the back of his head where he had hit the ground. He rubbed at it with his free hand as she pulled him to his feet. He looked around at the others, noticing that all of them were watching him. "I saw it. The place where this all started." He smirked. "I know where we need to go."

* * *

The world flickered.

It was a change that Naoto noticed at the edge of her vision, like the haze of distant fireworks. Without her glasses, she wasn't sure she would have noticed it. She turned her head towards the sight, startled, still chasing the last fleeting echoes of red and black.

"Kanji!" she said, turning towards Nakahara's house.

Kanji straightened up from where he was leaning against the bike, instantly alert. Naoto scanned the street, looking for movement. Her eyes landed on a figure skulking in the alleyway across the street, keeping to the shadows. The lighting made it difficult for her to make out any of his features, but she would have recognized Akira Kurusu anywhere.

He saw her, paused for half a moment as if startled, then turned and ran.

It was bait, Naoto knew, a ploy to draw her away from the others. Kurusu would have been expecting her just as she was expecting him. But she had a split second to make a decision, and she knew that if she didn't chase him, she would lose them all.

"Kanji, look for the others!" she said, breaking into a run.

She didn't wait to hear his response, darting across the street. Kurusu sped up the second she started chasing him, which only proved her right. Naoto settled into a quick pace, one hand going to the gun strapped to her back. Kurusu looked over his shoulder, and Naoto could have sworn that he was grinning.

She was surprised, when she raised a hand to her mouth, to find herself smiling back.

* * *

Shirogane was following him, which, so far, was exactly what Akira had expected she would do. He kept up a fast pace, keeping his breathing even, aware of his body's limitations outside of the Metaverse. He maintained the distance between them, but wasn't trying too hard to shake her off. He wouldn't complain if he lost her, but there was something he needed to know, and this was the best way to find out if his suspicions were accurate.

He rounded the corner, glancing back to catch sight of his pursuer, then doubled back around towards Hiroshi Nagano's street.

The Phantom Thieves had found the entrance to Nagano's remnant before entering Nakahara's, and had taken note of its location. While Nakahara's remnant had collapsed, Nagano's was still there, a tear in the world that he could see with his third eye. Just as Naoto followed him around the corner, he darted through it and into the chaos and haze of the other world. This close to reality, the other world wasn't too distorted, and Joker was able to leap into a secluded alley. He found a hiding place in the shadows behind a dumpster and settled in to wait.

He didn't have to wait for very long. A moment later, Naoto Shirogane burst into the remnant, stopping on the street just on the other side of the entrance. She wore a pair of blue glasses instead of a mask but the rest of her outfit had changed, becoming a suit, coat and hat that reminded him of Sherlock Holmes. She paused for only a moment, her head moving as she took in the strangeness of her surroundings and the clothes that she was wearing, and then she was looking for him again, scanning alleyways and hiding places with a sharp intensity.

Joker retreated further into his hiding place, holding his breath. Naoto finished scanning the area, then held up something in her hand, the same airsoft revolver that he had seen her purchase at Iwai's shop. A blue card materialized in her hand, and she tossed it into the air above her head, shooting it with the gun.

"Come forth," she commanded, _"Yamato Sumeragi!_ "

The card shattered with a sound like breaking glass, a figure materializing in the air behind her. It was the outline of a woman in a red, military-style coat, a sleek helmet on her hand and a cavalry saber in one hand. It hovered in the air over Naoto's shoulder, waiting.

Another figure burst through the entrance, running towards Naoto. Yu Narukami stopped halfway there, turning to take in the world around him and the Persona that Naoto had summoned. He looked down at his clothes, a noir detective's trench coat and suit.

"These clothes…" he said.

"I'm not sure I understand them either," said Naoto. She gave the area one last careful sweep, then turned towards Yu. "Did Kanji send you?"

Yu shook his head, touching the gray glasses he was wearing. "I saw something happen and saw you running. Yukiko is on her way."

A Shadow walked past Joker, brushing past his hiding place without noticing him. Naoto's eyes shifted towards it and the other Shadows that were approaching. She looked over Yu again.

"You're unarmed," she said, dismissing her Persona with a wave of her hand. "We should go."

Yu's eyes landed on the Shadows, and Joker saw him hesitate, _felt_ something in the air, the charge before a thunderstorm. Joker wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but he looked almost reluctant as he nodded his head, following Naoto towards the exit.

He definitely wasn't imagining the way Naoto looked back, her eyes moving dangerously close to his hiding place before she walked away.

* * *

 **Phantom Thief Group Chat – 07/28**

 **Ryuji:** You know those capsule machines near Shinjuku Station?

 **Ryuji:** Look what I found!

 _[Ryuji sent a picture]_

 **Ann:** Aww, cute!

 **Futaba:** Whoa!

 **Futaba:** That's the rarest!

 **Futaba:** How did you get it?!

 **Ryuji:** I dunno, it was already in the machine!

 **Ryuji:** How much do you think it's selling for?

 **Yusuke:** We can sell it for money?

 **Futaba:** We're not selling it!

 **Makoto:** What were you doing in Shinjuku anyway, Ryuji?

 **Ryuji:** …

 **Ryuji:** Nothing!


	14. Sojourn

**A/N:** Thanks everyone who told me to have a good vacation! Just a heads up, while I will be returning to a regular writing schedule soon, my beta reader (who is my little sister, and lives with me when her college is in session) is on summer break. This means that getting chapters beta read is no longer a matter of sitting her down next to me and making her read the chapters as I write them, but involves some amount of phone conversations, Skype conversations, and emailing files.

What that means for this story is that the next update might be delayed, but once we establish some sort of regular beta-reading/writing schedule, things will even out. If this story hasn't been finished by September, school will start again and she'll come back to living with me. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/29 (Sat)**_

 _ **Daytime**_

"Wait," Ryuji said, around a mouthful of chocolate. "She followed you into the remnant?"

"She and Narukami," Akira said from where he was looking over Futaba's shoulder, the two of them scrolling through maps of the city on her laptop. "Shirogane summoned a Persona."

"Yamato Sumeragi," Yusuke said, resting his elbows on the table and frowning in thought. "A reference to the emperors of Japan."

"The important thing is that Narukami and Shirogane are Persona users," Morgana said, pacing Haru's long wooden tabletop. "We had our suspicions, but this confirmation changes things. We need to be prepared for the possibility that there are more of them."

"Rise Kujikawa's one for sure," said Ann, her fingers hovering over the sweets on the table before she picked up a single chocolate truffle, popping it into her mouth. "The way she was talking to me—she _has_ to be one."

"That means we can probably count on Kanji Tatsumi being one as well," said Makoto, thinking. She drummed her fingers on the tabletop, a steady rhythm. "How many people are we dealing with?"

"Could there be a whole team of Persona users, just like us?" Haru asked.

"A whole team…" said Morgana. "This isn't like what happened with Akechi."

"We have to be prepared for the possibility that they have more experience with their Personas than we do," said Makoto. "And that there are more of them than we think."

"That Tatsumi guy was from Inaba, wasn't he?" Ryuji asked. "Did Narukami have any other friends from when he was in school there?"

"He had an uncle and a cousin," said Futaba, tapping away at her laptop's keyboard. "But the cousin was only six years old at the time."

Morgana shook his head. "Too young," he said. "A person needs to have a developed sense of self to form a Persona. And if his uncle tried to arrest him, his uncle probably isn't a Persona user either. What about his school friends?"

"You realize we're talking about something that happened six years ago?" Futaba said. "Even I'm not that good."

"Does he have any social media accounts?" Yusuke asked.

"Wow," said Futaba. "An A+ suggestion from you, Inari. As it turns out, he does have an online presence. But…he's practically friends with the whole town. It's hard to pick out anyone in particular."

"Ugh," said Ryuji, making a face. "Did I mention I'm really starting to hate this guy?"

"There _are_ a few people that Narukami interacts with online more than others," said Futaba. "Another young cop named Chie Satonaka, a department store manager named Yosuke Hanamura, and Yukiko Amagi, the manager of the Amagi Inn. They're all connected to Tatsumi on social media too. And the kicker? They're also connected to Naoto Shirogane, and Shirogane might as well be an online _ghost_. Her accounts are private, I wouldn't have found her if not for Narukami, and aside from a few niche little interest groups, she's really only connected to those three, Nanako Dojima, Narukami, Tatsumi, and a throwaway account called Marukyu Princess that I'm like 99% sure belongs to Rise Kujikawa."

"Sounds like we've got them," said Ann.

"Seven people…" said Makoto, looking around. The others did the same. Akira frowned as he thought, his attention focused on Futaba's screen.

Not counting Morgana, they were evenly matched.

But he still didn't know what Narukami's Persona was, and he had no idea what sort of powers any of the others had. He drummed his fingers on the back of Futaba's chair, thinking, then looked up sharply as Futaba panned over another neighborhood.

"There," he said, pointing. "That house."

Futaba stopped her scrolling, moving her cursor over the house that Akira had indicated. "This one?" she asked.

Akira nodded. "That's the house on the route I saw from Nakahara's house," he said. "I'm sure of it. The thread comes from there."

"Huh, interesting," said Futaba, panning through the neighborhood. "Look whose school is right there, a couple of blocks away."

Akira looked. He felt movement behind him and saw the others edging closer to look as well. The house stood about a five or ten minute walk away from Masaru Izawa's elementary school, in the opposite direction of the train station. It was also, he noted, not far from Kaoru Watabe's school—the last of the group of four delinquents.

"Alright, give me a second," said Futaba, flexing her fingers. "Let's see what I can find."

She leaned forward over her laptop, her fingers moving rapidly across the keys. Akira saw her screen begin to fill with information about the house and its surrounds. He stepped back to give her space, waiting, but it didn't take long before Futaba sat up sharply.

"Well," she said. "Guess what. That house is abandoned."

"Abandoned?" Ryuji asked.

"It has an owner," Futaba said. "But it hasn't been touched in years. And according to the neighborhood gossip…" She grinned, hunching over and wiggling her fingers at them. "It's _haunted_."

Makoto made a sound very much like a squeak. "H-Haunted?" she asked.

"Ghosts, screaming noises, creepy dolls, the whole set," said Futaba. "The city's been trying to get it torn down, but the owner won't sell."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," said Yusuke, "But don't delinquents like to congregate around abandoned houses?"

"Nah, you're not wrong," said Ryuji. "Bet'cha Masaru went in that house on a dare too. It sounds like the sort of thing little kids would do."

"That settles it," said Morgana. "We have to check it out."

"We do?" asked Makoto, looking uncertain.

Akira nodded. "Tonight," he said, "We'll meet there."

"Oh, this is so exciting," said Haru. "It feels just like a ghost story!"

"Y-Yeah," Makoto said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Just like a ghost story…"

* * *

"So wait—," said Chie, sitting cross-legged on the floor of Rise's living room. "There was another world—with Personas—and you guys were dressed as _detectives_?"

Yu nodded, carefully running an oiled cloth over the katana that he held in one hand. He held the blade up to the light, inspecting the curvature. "Naoto was Sherlock Holmes," he said. "I was in a trench coat."

"You were more like a traditional 'hardboiled' detective," Naoto said. "Sam Spade, and the like."

"But what does that mean?" Yosuke asked. "I mean, nothing like that ever happened in the TV world."

"I imagine it has to do with how we perceive ourselves," said Naoto. "While the presentation may have been slightly different, the both of us appeared as investigators and detectives. Agents of justice and order, so to speak."

"Will the same thing happen to us?" Yukiko asked.

"Probably," said Yu, inspecting the blade again before carefully sheathing it. "We all have the same power."

"I wonder what kind of detective I'd be," said Rise, idly.

"I dunno," said Kanji, looking her over. "I don't think you're really the trench coat and fedora type. You're probably more like a magical girl than a detective."

Rise huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "How rude, Kanji-kun," she said. "Just for that, I won't support you if we get into a fight."

Kanji's eyes widened. "Hey—," he said. "I was kidding!"

"Regardless, we are now mostly certain that the Phantom Thieves have the ability to use Personas," said Naoto. "If this other world shares any similarity with the TV world, someone without powers would likely not be able to survive for long."

"A whole bunch of Persona users, huh?" asked Kanji. "That's not gonna be good if we get into a fight."

"Scared, Kanji?" Yosuke asked.

"What? No!" said Kanji, scowling. "I ain't scared, Yosuke-senpai."

"Fear has nothing to do with it," said Naoto. "It would be a good idea to avoid violence if we can."

"Hey," said Chie, "Do you think the Phantom Thieves have someone like Yu?"

Conversation paused, the others turning to look at her.

"Someone like him?" Yosuke asked, glancing at Yu.

"You know," said Chie. "Someone who can use a bunch of different Personas. Someone with that kind of power."

Yu frowned, setting down his sheathed sword. "Akira Kurusu." The others looked back at him. Yu thought back to his meeting with Kurusu, to the look in the boy's eyes, the way he had evaded his questions. The feeling of power he had felt when he and Kurusu were standing across from each other on the street. He hadn't met the others, so he couldn't explain how he knew the answer with such certainty, but he knew. "If anyone has the power of the wild card," he said, "It would be him."

The sound of a ringing phone cut off any more conversation. Eyes drifted towards Naoto as she dug her phone out of her pocket, waving at them for silence. She rose to her feet, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she said. Yu watched her face, watched as her expression changed, going from confused to focused, serious. She pulled the phone closer to herself. "Yes. We'll be there right away."

Naoto hung up, turning towards Yu. "That was Masaru-kun's mother," she said. "She wants to talk to us again. One of Masaru-kun's classmates came over. He knows something we'll probably want to hear."

* * *

"Go ahead, Takuro-kun," Mrs. Izawa said, speaking to the young boy that sat at her kitchen table. "Tell them what you told me."

Takuro looked down at the tabletop, clutching a juice box close to himself. He seemed uncomfortable with the scrutiny, his shoulders hunching as if he wasn't sure whether or not he was in trouble.

"I didn't know anything was going to happen," he said. "I swear. We didn't mean any harm."

Naoto opened her mouth. Yu held up a hand to stop her, taking a step towards the boy. He braced one hand on the table, crouching down so that he was at Takuro's level. "What happened?" he asked. "Don't worry, you're not in any trouble. We just need to know."

Takuro looked at Yu, uncertain. His lip quivered. "I—Masa was being annoying," he said. "He was bragging about how brave he was. So I called him a scaredy-cat, and said that if he was really brave, he'd go into the house."

"What house?" Yu asked.

Takuro glanced at Mrs. Izawa, who was standing by the kitchen door looking pale, then back at Yu. "The—the haunted one," he said. "The one by the school. All the kids were talking about it. I didn't think he was actually gonna do it, you know."

"But he did?" Yu asked.

Takuro nodded, eyes wide. "He went in," he said. "And he didn't come out for a long time. I was really scared—I thought someone was gonna have to go in and find him."

"What happened next?" asked Yu.

"He came out," said Takuro. "But he wasn't really the same. He said he was tired—he didn't talk much. And then the next day, he beat up Sayo-chan." Takuro's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't mean to, honest. We were just playing around."

Yu exchanged a glance with Naoto, turning back to Takuro. "I believe you," he said. "Don't worry. Masaru-kun's fine now. You didn't do anything wrong. But I'm going to need you to show us how to get to that house."

Takuro sniffed, kicking his legs back and forth miserably. He nodded.

* * *

Yu opened the door and peered down the length of the corridor, but aside from Hitani, the line of detention cells was empty. He pulled the door open wide, gesturing for Rise to enter. She stepped inside quickly, pulling her hood down and freeing her long, reddish-brown hair as Yu shut the door behind him. Rise's heels clicked against the tiles as she approached the cell.

"Hitani-san," she said.

Hitani looked up at her from where he was seated on the bed, his eyes wide. Yu noted that he'd regained some of his color and strength since the last time he had seen him, but he still looked miserable. Given that he was still being detained, Yu couldn't blame him.

"Ku-Kujikawa-san," he said. "I—I'm sorry for what I did—."

"That's alright," said Rise, walking up to the bars of the cell. "You didn't know what you were doing."

Hitani shook his head. "Still—," he said, "I don't know if you can ever forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," said Rise, "But I need to ask you a few questions. Do you know Chiaki Takayama?"

To Hitani's credit, the question barely seemed to rattle him, although he did look away, staring down at the ground. "Yes," he said. "I know Chiaki."

"Is it true that the two of you were in a relationship?" Rise asked.

Hitani shook his head. "It wasn't serious," he said. "I was just…" He trailed off.

"Yes?" Rise asked, stepping closer to the bars. "Just what?"

Hitani didn't say anything for a long time. Yu waited, feeling a touch of impatience. He glanced at the door to the detention cells, which was still closed, then at his watch. After a moment, he touched Rise on the arm. "We can't stay here too long," he reminded her.

Rise nodded, her eyes still on Hitani. "Hitani-san?" she asked.

"Don't make me say it," Hitani mumbled.

"We can't help you if you don't cooperate," said Yu.

"I promise, whatever it is, I won't be mad," said Rise, giving him a reassuring smile. "I've probably heard worse."

"…mindedmeofyou…" Hitani muttered, almost too soft to hear.

"What?" Rise asked, frowning. "What did you say?"

"She reminded me of you…" said Hitani. "And I think, Chiaki knew it too. She was always jealous of you. I think that's why…"

Rise's expression grew troubled, her lips pulling down in a frown. Yu placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, stepping up to the cell. Rise leaned into the touch, her lips pressing tightly together in a determined expression as she reached into her purse, drawing out a photograph.

"Do you recognize this house at all, Hitani-san?" she asked, holding it up.

Hitani looked at the picture of the house, shaking his head. "I don't—," he said, and then his eyes widened. "Wait—I do." His face scrunched up, as if the memory was painful. "Chi—Chiaki and I were walking past that place. We were—it was a few days ago. She was…in a mood. She said it was…haunted, I think. Someone told her about it. She wanted me to go inside."

"Why did she want that?" Yu asked.

Hitani shook his head. "She wanted me to prove that I was brave," he said. "She called me a coward when I wouldn't do it. She went in herself. I was scared that she was going to get arrested, so I followed her. Inside was—." He winced, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. That's all that I remember."

"That's more than enough," Yu said. "Thank you for your time."

Hitani bowed his head, not responding. Rise opened her mouth as if to say something more, then closed it, looking away. Yu gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, steering her in the direction of the door. As they left the prison cells, he saw Rise look back over her shoulder, her eyes on the miserable figure of Hitani.

"Yu…" she said, in a low voice, "I don't want to press charges."

"That's fine," Yu said, nodding.

"Something about his story…" Rise began. "He feels completely normal now. I think—I think we need to take a look at that house."

Yu nodded, leading Rise out of the police station. She pulled her hood back on as they stepped out onto the street, and into the fading light of day.

"I was thinking the same thing," he said. "Tonight."

* * *

 _ **Evening**_

The house stood in the corner at the end of a narrow roadway, and looking at it, Yu understood how people assumed it was haunted. It looked like it was slowly falling into disrepair. One of the front windows was broken, and the small patch of grass between the front gate and the house was overgrown with weeds. He stood outside the gate, one of his hands in his pockets, watching the house as the rest of the Investigation Team assembled behind him.

"That's the place?" Yosuke asked, coming up beside Yu and watching the house.

Yu nodded. On his other side, Rise shivered, wrapping her arms close around herself.

"I don't like this place," Rise said.

"You don't think it's actually haunted, do you?" Yukiko asked.

"While something supernatural may be happening here, I find it hard to believe that it would actually be 'haunted'," said Naoto, discreetly adjusting her revolver. "That's my assessment of the situation, at least."

Rise gave her a sly smile. "You say that, but you're actually afraid of ghosts, aren't you, Naoto-kun?"

Naoto's eyes widened. "I—uh," she said, "That is—." She trailed off, taking a step closer to Kanji. Kanji frowned down at her in confusion, then looked up at Yu.

"So what's the plan, Senpai?" he asked. "We going in?"

"Yeah," Yu said, eyeing the house. "We're going in."

* * *

There was a remnant entrance a block away from the house, in a shadowed corner of the street. Joker watched the street warily for any pursuers, then waved the rest of the Phantom Thieves through the entrance, following after them. The world on the other side was similar to the other remnants they had cleared, wreathed in red and black, but there was a difference he could feel as soon as he crossed the threshold. The presence was stronger here, the feeling of oppressive power. When he opened his third eye, he could see strands of white thread littering the ground, extending out towards shadowed city streets.

"Everyone alright?" he asked, looking back at the others.

"All good here," said Panther, smiling.

"The security level's pretty high," said Oracle, hands resting on her console. "We should be careful not to get caught."

"It's a good thing we have experience sneaking around," said Queen. "Now, the first thing we should do is find the house."

"Uh…guys?" said Skull, staring at something behind them. "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

He pointed. Joker turned to follow his line of sight, the others following. Where the house stood in the real world, a black obelisk rose into the sky, a monolithic tower. Its outsides were covered in the same spider thread that Joker had seen around the victims. He turned towards the others, who were staring at the structure, mixtures of surprise and uncertainty on their faces.

"Alright," he said. "We know where we're going. Let's head in."

* * *

There was a world on the other side of the front door.

Yu wasn't sure if this was what Hitani and the others had seen when they entered the house, or if this was something that was only available to them, the same way the TV world had opened for each of them. Whatever it was, as soon as he crossed the threshold into the house, the world changed, reality twisting and bending as the ground dropped out from under his feet.

When he came to, he was lying on the ground of a vast entrance hall, dressed in the suit and trench coat that he had worn during his last sojourn into the other world. The floor beneath him was smoke-gray tile, the ceiling cavernously high above him. The sword that he had brought with him lay at his side. He groaned, adjusting the hat on his head with one hand and holding onto the sword's hilt with the other as he pushed himself up into a seat.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked, looking around him.

Groans of pain answered him. Beside him, Yosuke stirred, pushing himself up and rubbing at the back of his head. He was dressed, Yu noticed, in the sort of suave suit and bowtie a secret agent might wear.

"Ow…" he said. "Why can't these portals ever be on the ground?"

"You said it," said Chie, standing. The hat she was wearing slid off of her head and she caught it automatically, frowning down at it. Her eyes traveled from the hat to the rest of her outfit, a skirt, leather boots with spurs, and a vest with a star pinned to the front of it. "Wait…Am I a cowboy?"

"You look more like a sheriff," said Yosuke, looking down at himself. "And who am I supposed to be? James Bond?"

"Pfft, yeah right," said Chie, laughing. "You're not cool enough to be James Bond, Yosuke."

"Hey, pipe down!" said Kanji, sitting up. "We don't know what's in here!" His voice echoed in the cavernous chamber. Kanji paused, staring down at his own outfit. "Wait, the hell? Why am I in riot gear?"

"It's strangely fitting," said Naoto, who was once again dressed like Sherlock Holmes. She stood up, holding a hand out towards Rise. The idol took it, now dressed in a reporter's garb, a camera slung around her neck. "As expected, we all seem to be dressed like agents of law and order."

"So I'm the nosy reporter that investigates crimes?" Rise asked, examining her camera. She smiled. "Well, I've always wanted to turn the tables on the paparazzi. Smile, everyone!"

"What's my costume supposed to be, then?" Yukiko asked, letting Chie help her up. She was dressed in a very prim and proper coat and skirt in a vintage style, her long dark hair tied up in a bun.

Naoto frowned, looking her over. "I suppose you're the protagonist of a tea cozy mystery," she said. "An ol— _ordinary_ citizen of a small town that solves local murders."

"Alright, so now that that's all settled, does anyone know where the hell we are?" Yosuke asked. "Or more importantly, how we're getting out of here?"

Yu looked around, scanning the area. True to Yosuke's word, there was no exit that he could see, only a marble staircase that extended up from the entryway, its top shrouded in shadow. The others stopped as well, turning to face the stairs.

"Uh…" Chie said. "I guess we're heading up there?"

"We gain nothing by staying here," said Naoto. "But I don't like not having an exit route. Our priority should be finding a way out."

Yu nodded. "I agree," he said. A thought occurred to him, and he looked back at Rise. "Is this area safe?"

"One second," Rise said. She frowned, her brow furrowing as if she was trying to remember something, and then held her hands out in front of her, facing each other. A card formed in the gap between them, shattering, and Rise closed her eyes. The slender form of Kouzeon appeared behind her, covering her eyes with a visor. Yu waited, feeling power pulse outward from her.

"This place is safe," Rise said. "I can support you from here. Do you want to do this the same way we used to explore the TV world?"

Yu nodded, looking around at the others. "Yukiko and Kanji, stay with Rise for now. Yosuke, Naoto, and Chie, come with me. We'll call you guys when we find another safe place."

"Be careful," Rise said.

Yu nodded, turning towards the stairs.

He started to climb.

* * *

 **Investigation Team Group Chat – 07/29**

 **Chie:** Yu, can I ask you a question?

 **Yu:** Sure, what's up?

 **Chie:** So…

 **Chie:** What's the white thing on the ceiling of your kitchen? You know, right above the stove?

 **Yosuke:** Chie…

 **Yu:** Smoke detector, why?

 **Chie:** So, um

 **Chie:** What does it mean when it starts beeping?

 **Yosuke:** Chie, what did you do?

 **Yu:** It means there might be a fire somewhere.

 **Chie:** So hypothetically

 **Chie:** If Yukiko and I were trying to make breakfast, and then it just happened to go off…

 **Yu:** I'll be right there.

* * *

 **Full List of Investigation Team Outfits and References**

 **Yu Narukami:** Hardboiled detective/noir fiction (ex: Sam Spade from _The Maltese Falcon_ )

 **Yosuke Hanamura:** Secret agent/government spy (ex: James Bond)

 **Chie Satonaka:** Wild West sheriff (with a touch of kung-fu ala _Shanghai Noon_ )

 **Yukiko Amagi:** Tea cozy mystery heroine (ex: Agatha Christie's Miss Marple)

 **Kanji Tatsumi:** Riot cop (self-explanatory)

 **Rise Kujikawa:** Investigative reporter ('The Intrepid Reporter' archetype)

 **Naoto Shirogane:** Sherlock Holmes

 **Teddie:**?


	15. Encounter

**A/N:** Started playing _Persona 4: Golden_ again to re-familiarize myself with the P4 cast. I'm remembering soooo many things about these guys. Enjoy the update! The time that a lot of you guys have been waiting for is getting pretty darned close now.

No texts this time around. Sorry, there isn't enough time in between chapters for the characters to be texting~ I'll make it up to you later on.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/29 (Sat)**_

 _ **Evening**_

The monster charged at Chie, who leaped nimbly out of the way, the sole of her boot slamming into its head. Yu heard a cracking sound as Chie jumped back, landing on the tiled floor. As she stepped out of the way, Yosuke stepped forward, flipping one of his daggers neatly over in his hand.

"Let's do this," he said, slashing through a card. _"Takehaya Susano-o!"_

A Persona took form in the air above him, the bladed rings that surrounded it spinning furiously. The wind in the chamber picked up, slamming into one of the monsters that was attacking them, a huge creature shaped like a tiger. The monster roared as the wind rushed at it, knocking it flat on its back. Before it could recover, Yosuke charged in, knives flashing.

"Naoto!" Yosuke said.

From the rear of the group, Naoto formed her Persona card, pointing her revolver at it. Yu heard the sharp sound of a gunshot, and then Yamato Sumeragi was flying over the battleground, saber slicing through all of the monsters at once. The one that Yosuke had downed roared as it faded into dust, and the two that were left recoiled from the blow.

" _Enemy defeated!"_ Rise said, her voice echoing in the air around them. _"Nice job, Naoto-kun!"_

"It's yours, Yu!" Naoto said.

Yu felt power course through him. He grinned, adjusting his glasses with the hand that was not holding onto his sword. He thought through the Personas he had with him, but there was only one that he wanted to use for this fight. Light reflected off of his glasses as a spinning card appeared in the air in front of him. He reached out and shattered it in his fist, the air sparking with electricity.

" _Izanagi!"_ he called.

The Persona appeared in the air in front of him, black coat rippling in the wind, blade flashing. Electricity gathered in the air just in front of him, a searing bolt of lightning piercing straight through one of the two remaining monsters. The blow knocked it over, the monster letting out a keening cry as it disintegrated. Yu ran forward, flushed with exertion and power, and slashed through the second monster once, twice, a third time. The blade stabbed right through it on the third cut, the monster disintegrating around it.

Yu straightened up, fixing his glasses. He adjusted his hat, looking back at the others, at the evidence of past battles that marked the corridor behind them. He swiped his sword through the air to clear it, inclining his head towards the corridor ahead of them.

"Let's go," he said.

* * *

"That's so weird!" Oracle said, her voice emanating from where Prometheus was flying high above them. Joker stopped running, looking up at her.

"What's weird?" he asked.

"The security level's gone up _again_!" she said. "I can't figure out why!"

Joker paused, looking out from his hiding spot at the darkened corridor ahead of him. He and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had managed to infiltrate the tower from a side entrance, sneaking their way through cluttered corridors and narrow passages. For the most part, they avoided the wide spaces that Oracle said she could sense nearer them—too many Shadows and not enough cover.

"That doesn't make any effing sense," said Skull, "We haven't been spotted yet."

"I wonder…" Queen said, pursing her lips from her own hiding place. She glanced up. "Oracle, are we the only ones here?"

"What kind of a question is— _oh…"_ Oracle went silent above them. Joker gave her time to collect herself, watching as Prometheus bobbed up and down in the air overhead. When enough time had passed, he cleared his throat.

"Oracle?" he asked.

"There _are_ other people here," she said. "I'm getting readings from presences in the main hallway. Give me a second. I'll see if I can get a lock on them."

* * *

Rise had almost forgotten how all-consuming it was to use Kouzeon.

On some level of her mind, she knew that she was sitting in the tower's empty entrance hall, cross-legged on the floor with Kouzeon's visor over her face, while Kanji and Yukiko stood guard not too far away, talking with each other in low voices. She could even see herself if she bothered to look, could take on a birds-eye view from the air over her body. She could listen in on Kanji and Yukiko's conversation—they were currently discussing business at the Amagi Inn. But that was only one of the things that she could sense.

The world around her was split into layers, sheets of reality overlaid upon each other, and she could see them _all._ She could see the house as it was in the real world, standing alone on a street corner, could see it the way it presented itself now, as the tower they were standing in, and on another deeper level, she could see the fires that burned deep inside Kanji and Yukiko—Takeji Zaiten and Sumeo-Okami respectively. She knew, without having to think about how she knew, that both Kanji and Yukiko were fresh, ready and raring to fight, whereas Yu and the others were already beginning to tire.

And with a shift in awareness just like flipping a page, she could see into the space where Yu and the others were, could watch them, speak to them, and even intervene in their battles.

It was a complex interplay of sight, sound, and feeling, exhausting and exhilarating all at once. And through Kouzeon's abilities, Rise could process them all. The downside was that she really was only slightly aware of what was happening to her own body, which was why Kanji and Yukiko were standing guard for her.

But the definite upside was that she could feel it when _another_ presence started intruding on her own, encroaching on her awareness. Rise sucked in a sharp breath—or at least, the astral projection of her did, her own body didn't even move—and in a spacious hallway far away from her physical body, Yu came to a stop, swiping his sword through the last of the shadows that surrounded him.

"Rise?" Yu asked.

She didn't need to be visible in order to speak, but she knew that Yu and the others found it odd to speak into the empty air, so she let a projection of herself appear on the ground in front of them, a translucent representation of her body.

"I think someone's trying to spy on us," she said. "Give me a minute. I'll try and see who they are."

She relayed the same message to Kanji and Yukiko, then didn't wait for their responses, her projections flickering out of existence as she tuned all of Kouzeon's energies towards finding the source of that signal. In the air above her body, the planetary rings that surrounded Kouzeon began to spin, each of the planets aligning within its orbit as Kouzeon's telescope scanned the area. She saw each of the images her Persona presented to her like snapshots out of a camera lens—Shadows, Shadows, Yu and company, more Shadows, a dark presence that shied away from her sight, and—

 _Aha,_ Rise thought, aware that her mouth—her real mouth—had curved into a grin, aware that both Kanji and Yukiko were watching her.

"…Rise-chan?" Yukiko ventured.

It took effort to make her mouth move, to speak with her actual voice, but Rise was nothing if not a performer. She managed.

"I found them," she said, smiling. "Now, let's teach them not to creep."

* * *

The change happened in a second.

One moment, Oracle was sitting comfortably inside Prometheus's cockpit, various maps and readings unfolding on the screen around her as she zeroed in on the strange presences, another moment all of her screens were flashing gold, alarms blaring. The maps and readings vanished, replaced by images of stars and hearts against a gold backdrop, chibi rabbits and bears running around her screen in a panic. Oracle's eyes widened, and she surged forward in her seat, throwing her hands against the controls as Prometheus swayed and bobbed uncertainly.

"What?!" Oracle shouted.

"Oracle!" Joker said from below, noticing the disturbance. "What's going on?"

Oracle ignored him, frantically trying to stop the incoming signal. "I'm being _hacked_?! But that's impossible—."

A pair of brown teddy bears ran across her main screen from either side, each bear holding one side of a stage curtain. They pulled the curtain over her screen, disappearing behind it. One bear poked its head out through the curtains, holding a signpost with the words: **NO PEEKING!** written on it in angry lettering. The bear glared at her, disappearing through the curtain.

The words: **NO PEEKING!** appeared on her secondary screens, alternating between the message, the stars, and the hearts. Her screens began to flicker, taking on the quality of a grainy television program, and then one by one, they went out.

"My systems are crashing!" Oracle shouted in alarm. Her eyes widened as she felt a sudden change in altitude. " _I'm_ crashing! Everyone look out!"

She let out a scream of alarm as around her, the world went dark, the neon lights surrounding Prometheus going out as the Persona slammed into the earth below.

* * *

A moment later, groaning and bruised, Oracle extricated herself from the wreckage. She took Skull's hand as he offered it to her, lifting herself out of Prometheus's cockpit and onto the tiled floor. She shook out her long orange hair as she landed on the floor, looking at her Persona in disbelief.

"Prometheus…" she said.

"Are you alright?" Noir asked, watching her in concern.

Oracle sniffed. "My Persona…"

"I suppose this Persona is more like 'Icarus' now," said Fox from Oracle's other side.

Oracle punched him in the arm. Fox blinked down at her fist, still resting against him.

"Was I supposed to feel that?" he asked.

Oracle punched him again.

"Dude, how'd they shut down _Oracle_?" Skull asked. "Do you think it's Narukami and them again?"

"Who else _would_ it be?" asked Panther.

"It does seem suspicious that they'd be here ahead of us," Fox pointed out, his voice soft. "Here, at the source of the disturbance."

Joker didn't miss the implication. He turned to look at Oracle. "Can you get it back up and running?"

Oracle sighed. "I'll try," she said, stepping closer to Prometheus. She held her hands up in front of her, gloved fingers hovering just over the surface of her Persona. Gold light flickered from her fingertips before guttering, blinking out of existence. Oracle swept her hand through the air with a frustrated noise, Prometheus dissolving and forming back into her goggles.

"Well, at least _that_ still works," she said, touching her goggles with one hand. "I'm running some diagnostics now. Give me a second." She drew the other through the air, light dancing at the tips of her fingers as Oracle worked her way through a systems check.

Queen took Joker by the arm while Futaba worked, drawing him aside. Her expression was grim. Mona went with them, coming to a stop on the ground beside Joker.

"Joker, this is bad," Queen said, keeping her voice low. "If we can't rely on Oracle's information, we're practically blind out here."

"Not necessarily," Joker said, looking back at the group behind them. Noir, Panther, Fox and Skull had taken up places around the corridor, standing guard around Oracle.

Queen frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"We have some information," Joker said.

Mona nodded. "That's right," he said. "We know they're using the main halls. We know they're here."

"And we know that they have the resources to shut down Oracle," said Joker. "We also know something they don't."

"And that is?" asked Queen.

"How to stay hidden in here." Joker looked around, at the narrow access hallway they were using. He looked back at Queen. "I think it's time we introduced ourselves to our new friends."

Queen's eyes widened from behind her mask. "Is this going to be a fight?" she asked.

He didn't answer that outright. Instead, he shrugged, thinking of the look in Narukami's eye the last time they had spoken, the way Shirogane had chased him into the remnant. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to fight them. But there was too much energy building here for it to not be a fight, too much power in the air.

He clenched one red-gloved hand into a fist. "I need a strategy, Queen," he said.

Queen blinked at him, and then her expression grew serious. One of her hands drifted close to her hip, fingers curling near the strap that held her knuckles to her waist. She nodded.

* * *

Rise let out a sound of frustration as the presences vanished, Kouzeon's rings snapping out of their ordered formation and back into their usual orbits. Her awareness returned to her physical body, the world taking on a pinkish tint as she looked out at the entrance hall from behind her visor. Kanji and Yukiko jumped at the sound, turning to look back at her.

"Rise?" Kanji asked.

"They're gone!" Rise said, raising a hand to where Kouzeon's visor rested on her face. She shook her head. "I managed to stop them from spying on us, but now I can't find them _anywhere_. It's like they vanished!"

Yukiko and Kanji exchanged a glance, Yukiko's expression becoming a frown of concern. "Could they have…left?" she asked, looking around at the building.

"Oh no," said Rise, frowning. "No. They're still here. I'll bet _anything_ on it."

"Is it those Phantom Thieves?" Kanji asked, scowling.

Rise nodded. "I think so. It was hard to say."

Kanji's scowl deepened, his eyes moving to the stairway in front of them. Yukiko's expression grew more concerned. Rise understood. If the Phantom Thieves were here somewhere, and they were so good at hiding that even _she_ couldn't find them…

"Should we tell Yu?" said Yukiko.

Rise uncrossed her legs, mindful of her stiff muscles as she pushed herself up to her feet. "I'll tell him," she said. "One second."

She tapped into Kouzeon's power, her mind once again leaving her physical body and rushing through the maze of corridors and hallways they had already explored, looking for Yu.

* * *

" _Yu!"_

Rise's voice rang out in the air, making Yu and the others stop. There was a flash of light off to his right, and then her projected form appeared beside him, an expression of concern on her face.

"What is it, Rise?" Yu asked, turning towards her.

"That presence that was watching us," she said, "I lost track of them. But I think they're still here."

Yu's eyes widened. Yosuke turned towards her in surprise.

"Wait," Yosuke said. " _You_ lost them?!"

Rise pouted at him, folding her arms. "They're _very_ good at hiding," she said.

Naoto tugged at the brim of her hat, looking down at the ground. "It would be the Phantom Thieves for sure," she said. "To think that would already be here…"

"Hang on a second," said Chie, eyes widening, "If _Rise_ doesn't even know where they are, they could be anywhere. They could be right on top of us!"

Rise's brow furrowed and she glanced off to the side, her expression growing far-off like she was addressing someone off-screen. After a moment, she looked back at Yu. "Kanji-kun and Yukiko-chan want to know if they should come to where you are. I think you should consider it."

"What about you?" Yu asked.

"I'll be fine," said Rise. "The entrance hall is safe."

"Absolutely not!" said Naoto, sharply. "We are not leaving you alone, out in the open, with enemies that could be anywhere."

"Then I'll come too!" said Rise, rounding onto Naoto. "But I'm _not_ going to be the reason anyone gets hurt!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Yosuke, holding both of his hands out towards Rise in a placating manner. "No one's going to get hurt." He looked back at Yu. "What do you think, partner?"

Yu thought about it for a moment, looking from Rise, to Naoto, to Yosuke. He looked back at Naoto. "How many Phantom Thieves did you say there were?" he asked.

"Anywhere between seven to nine," Naoto said. "But that's only an estimate."

"If we get everyone together, that's seven…" said Chie. "I mean, counting Rise."

"Alright," Yu said, turning towards Rise. "Tell them to come."

Rise nodded. "I'll be offline for a little while we move," she said, before her projection blinked out of existence. "Please stay where you are."

* * *

"There they are," Panther said, crouched against the low wall that separated their balcony from the floor below. Joker leaped forward, clinging to the shadows and pressing his back against a pillar. The others took up positions around him, hiding in corners and the shadows of benches, or pressing themselves up against the railing like Panther had.

He looked down and saw seven people walking along a wide marble hallway beneath them, each of them carrying weapons. The hallway ended at a grand staircase not too far from the group, with the stairs curving away to either side. There were three chandeliers spaced out along the hallway, each glowing with a cold white light. Joker gauged the distance and decided that they could leap onto the chandeliers if they had to—they looked sturdy enough to hold his weight.

He looked down at the group below. The one leading them was definitely Narukami—Joker recognized his coat and the way he carried himself. Shirogane was bringing up the rear, her revolver in hand. In the center of the group was Rise Kujikawa, and judging by the way that she wasn't carrying a weapon and that everyone was taking special care to walk close to her, he guessed that she was their support. He didn't really recognize the others, but Panther took in a sharp breath.

"There," she said, indicating the big man that walked next to Shirogane, the one wearing riot gear. "That's him. That's Kanji Tatsumi."

"That's the lunatic who was chasing us?" Skull asked, looking over Kanji's neat black hair. "I dunno, I was kinda expecting someone a little _wilder_."

"He's dating Shirogane," Oracle said, making everyone turn to look at her. "What?" she asked. "Did I forget to mention that? He used to have blond hair in high school too."

" _Naoto Shirogane_ was who Kanji-san was talking about?" Panther asked, eyes widening. "I thought—uh, never mind."

"This isn't the best time for that conversation," said Queen, shooting Panther a dark look. She looked back at Oracle. "Are your systems back online?"

"Mostly," said Oracle, resting her laptop on the floor and typing into it quickly. "My sensors are still down, but Prometheus is back in working order. I can support you in battle if you need it, Joker."

"Good to know," said Joker.

"This would be the perfect spot for an ambush," Fox pointed out, slinging his rifle off of his shoulder. On the other side of the narrow balcony from him, Noir did the same with her grenade launcher, a determined frown on her face. "How do you want to proceed, Joker?"

Joker thought about it, looking back down at the group. From this high up, it was hard to gauge their intentions. His hand drifted close to the knife at his waist, and he could feel a burning energy inside of him like Arsene wanted to attack, but he held that impulse at bay, sweeping his eyes over the group. There were too many things he didn't know.

"You're going to try for diplomacy?" Mona asked, looking up at him. The cat didn't seem particularly happy with that idea, but he didn't protest. He didn't trust Narukami, but attacking out of hand without understanding their side wasn't how the Phantom Thieves worked.

He nodded, looking around at the others. "Watch my back," he said.

Joker took a breath, then stepped out from behind the pillar, kicking off of the low railing and crossing the space between him and the chandelier. He made the jump in near silence, with only the tinkling sound of the chandelier's ornaments to announce his presence. The group below him stopped anyway, Narukami holding out a hand to stop the others from moving. They all looked up. Joker straightened up, feeling their eyes on him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shirogane raise her gun. He recognized it as a warning, saw in her position and in the look in her eye that she was very confident she could make that shot. An ugly thrill ran through him, equal parts fear and exhilaration at being so exposed. It reminded him of the night at the casino. He felt the same grinning smirk come onto his face as it had then, felt Arsene laughing somewhere in the back of his mind.

Shirogane might be able to shoot him from here. But like this, he was Joker, and Joker had all the control.

"Drop your weapon," Shirogane said, her voice calm and clear.

Joker glanced at her, at the group of people below him. "You first," he said.

"Yeah, right," said a man standing next to Narukami, one wearing a suit and carrying two daggers. Joker noticed now that all of them were wearing glasses.

"We weren't born yesterday, you know," the woman on Narukami's other side, the one dressed like a cowboy said. Joker saw that all of them had closed ranks, that they were scanning the balconies. He was forced to give the point to her—they clearly weren't born yesterday.

"What are your intentions here?" another woman asked, one dressed in deep red and carrying a fan.

"Hey, wiseguy, stop standing there and say something!" the man next to Shirogane—Kanji Tatsumi—said.

Joker ignored them, turning his eyes on the leader of their group, the one who still hadn't spoken. Yu Narukami met his eyes, a look of understanding passing through them. Narukami's lip twitched in a smirk that seemed a subtler version of his own, and Joker realized that Narukami was as much in his element now as he was. Still, he did straighten up, lowering the tip of his sword.

"Akira Kurusu-kun, right?" he asked. "Why don't you come down from there and we'll talk?"

Joker snorted, shaking his head. "Still not that stupid, Ace," he said. "I can talk just fine from up here."

"Alright," Narukami said. "Then talk. I'm listening."

Joker's eyes drifted back towards Shirogane. "I don't like talking at gunpoint," he said.

"Then maybe you should get a new career!" the sheriff woman suggested. Narukami shot her an amused smile, then glanced back at Shirogane.

"Naoto?"

Shirogane's eyes were narrowed, the barrel of her revolver unwavering. The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile that was on the edge of savage. "Tell your friend with the rifle that I'll lower my weapon when he does," she said.

Joker glanced at the balcony out of the corner of his eye and saw Fox lying on his stomach, the sights of his rifle pointed squarely at Shirogane. At Shirogane's words, Tatsumi went tense, his eyes widening as he scanned the balcony.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Just what kind of shit are you trying to pull?"

"I just want to talk," Joker said. "This doesn't have to end in violence. Isn't that right, Narukami?"

"Yeah, come down here, then!" Tatsumi shouted. "See if you're so tough when you're on the ground, little punk!"

"They're well within his rights to threaten me, Kanji," Shirogane said, and though she wasn't shouting, she had pitched her voice to carry in the cavernous hall. "After all, I have a gun pointed at their leader. Where it will _remain_ until I'm certain we are no longer under threat."

"You're right, Kurusu," Narukami said, apparently unaffected by the banter. "This doesn't have to end in violence. So why don't we take this somewhere else, somewhere neutral, and talk this out?"

Joker thought about it. "Who chooses the meeting place?" he asked.

"We do," Narukami said. He gave Joker a placating smile. "Sorry, but you have us at a disadvantage right now. It's only fair."

Joker frowned, thinking about it. He looked at the others, at the Phantom Thieves huddled on the balcony, then back at Narukami.

"You and me," he said. "Alone. No others."

A murmur of discontent ran through the team below, an identical rumble moving through the Phantom Thieves. The man standing next to Narukami turned towards him in alarm.

"Partner—," he began.

"One other," said Narukami, holding up a finger.

"Fine," Joker said. "One other. Each."

"I don't like this, Yu," Kujikawa said, frowning in concern.

"I agree," said the woman in red. "This doesn't sound right."

"I'm with Rise and Yukiko!" said the sheriff, "What kind of trick are you trying to pull, sneak?"

She crouched down, shifting her weight. Joker saw a rustle out of the corner of his eye that told him Skull had gotten to his feet, watching the proceedings with alarm. The other man, the one in the suit, still had his daggers in his hands, and he looked as though he was considering using them.

Power crackled in the air. Joker realized that things could go very bad very soon, if he and Narukami didn't come to an agreement that would keep both their teams at bay. If Narukami wasn't playing him false. He turned towards the other leader, about to agree.

That was when the lights went out, the chandeliers extinguishing and leaving them all in darkness.

And all hell broke loose.

* * *

" **Finisher" Lines for the Investigation Team**

 _(Post All-Out Attack lines for each member)_

 **Yu:** Case closed.

 **Yosuke:** Think they got the point?

 **Chie:** This town's not big enough for the both of us.

 **Yukiko:** Now, don'tdo that again.

 **Kanji:** And stay down, punks!

 **Naoto:** Elementary.


	16. Clash

**A/N:** I didn't make this clear in the previous chapter (my apologies), but the Phantom Thieves have also been fighting Shadows. They aren't fresher than the Investigation Team, they've just been sneakier about it (ambushes instead of rushing at the Shadows flat out). Also the Investigation Team is not outnumbered, given that Mona is still a cat who can't fight. Sorry for the confusion!

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/29 (Sat)**_

 _ **Evening**_

The second the lights died, Joker heard two gunshots go off in quick succession, something whizzing through the air over his head. He dropped down, pressing himself flat against the metal surface of the chandelier. It swayed with the movement, ornaments tinkling.

He could hear shouting from both the balcony and the floor below, voices crying out in confusion. His mind spun as he looked around for any source of light.

"Joker!" Panther called from the balcony. Flame flickered into existence around her. He didn't think, launching himself off the chandelier. He cleared the space towards her just as the fire died, landing smoothly on the ground of the balcony and launching himself into a roll.

"What the hell is this?" Skull asked as Prometheus rose into the air, neon lights flickering across its exterior. "An ambush?"

"Everyone calm down!"Oracle called. "I'm trying to get us some light!"

On the floor below, Joker saw a flicker of movement. A Persona had enveloped Rise Kujikawa, a faint golden light surrounding her. And in that light, Joker saw Narukami's team running for the stairs, making to rush the balcony.

Mona saw it too, going tense.

"They're coming this way!" he said. "Everyone off the balcony!"

Joker eyed the chandeliers and the space between them as the light from Prometheus and Kujikawa's Persona filled the space. He grabbed Mona and leaped across, the others scrambling to their feet to follow. Below him, Narukami's team picked up the pace, running quickly up the stairs.

"Go!" Queen said, gesturing for the others to follow Joker. "Hurry!"

Panther went first, jumping across the gap. She landed on the chandelier that Joker was standing on, grabbing the chain to steady herself. On the far side of the balcony, Joker saw Fox sling his rifle over his shoulder, leaping onto the chandelier across from himself and Panther.

He had just barely landed when the woman in red stopped on her way up the stairs, turning towards him.

"Come forth!" she said, sweeping a fan through the air. Something outlined in blue light shattered. _"Sumeo-Okami!"_

A golden figure appeared in the air beneath her, fans unfurling. A blast of fire appeared in the air in front of her, bright enough to leave a flash behind Joker's eyelids. Beside him, he heard Panther suck in a gasp Fox raised his katana to block the blow, but too late, the flames swept him off of his feet and threw him down from the balcony, sending him crashing onto the marble floor of the hall below.

" _Fox!"_ Oracle screamed.

Panther stared at the scene with wide eyes before letting out an enraged snarl, leaping onto the chandelier that Fox had been standing on in one fluid movement. She raised her hand to her mask. _"Hecate!"_

Her Persona appeared in the air, flames rushing not just towards Fox's attacker, but at the two people on the steps ahead of her, the agent and the sheriff. Joker didn't see what happened to them. He didn't have the time—his attention was captured by a shout from the balcony.

Queen and Skull were the only ones still there, Queen charging at Kanji Tatsumi as he appeared on the balcony across from her. He raised the large, heavy shield in his hand as she drew back her fist, a clang echoing in the chamber as the two collided. Queen lowered her center of mass, punching at him with her other hand, and Tatsumi deflected the blow. Her knuckles clipped the railing beside them, marble chips splintering and flying beneath the force.

Tatsumi's eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled back. Queen took the opportunity to press her hand against her mask. _"_ Charge, _Anat!"_

There was a blinding flash of blue light as Anat let loose a blast of power. Joker heard Tatsumi cry out as he was thrown back down the hallway, and then gunshots were going off, coming from the space behind him. He caught sight of Naoto Shirogane ducking behind a pillar. One of the shots barely missed Skull's head. The other caught Queen in the leg, pinging off her armor. Her leg crumpled and she gasped in pain, dropping to a knee. Naoto ducked out of sight again.

"Queen, get down!" Skull yelled, running towards her.

Queen grimaced in pain, but threw herself to the ground. Skull came to a stop ahead of her, bracing his shotgun against his shoulder. He fired in Naoto's general direction, and Joker saw Naoto roll out of the way of the blast.

Below him, Noir had leaped down from the balcony to aid Fox. She had pulled him to his feet, healing his burns, and thrust him behind her as Astarte let loose a volley of artillery fire at the stairs, kicking up a cloud of dust. A figure shot out of the dust like a rocket, kicking off of the wall of the hallway and propelling himself towards Noir. He had daggers in both hands, and she let out a shout of surprise, raising her axe to protect herself.

She didn't need to. Fox stepped around her, tugging his sword half out of its scabbard. He caught the first dagger in the thin gap between sword and sheath, then pulled the sword free completely. He used the sheath to sweep his opponent away from him, then turned, blocking the sheriff-girl's kick with his sword. The sheriff jumped back, preparing another attack, but before she could, Panther's whip coiled around her arm, throwing her to the ground.

Fox turned to deal with the other woman, the one with the fans. He rushed her, dodging the blast of fire that she sent his way, and summoned Kamu Susano-o. Fire and ice clashed in an elegant display, steam filling the chamber.

"Joker!" Mona called from the ground beside him.

Joker turned at the shout, feeling a shift in the air around him. A figure stood alone on the opposite balcony, the wind from the raging battles moving through his coat. Electricity crackled around him, and Joker had only a second to glimpse a black clad Persona in the air just over Yu Narukami's head before a bolt of lightning surged towards him, searing the air.

* * *

Izanagi's Ziodyne cut through the air, slicing through the space where Akira had been standing. Before the blast had fully cleared, Yu caught sight of him leaping onto the room's third chandelier, stray sparks of electricity dancing across his coat. He caught sight of Ishtar's form in the air over Akira's head, the Persona vanishing as Akira touched his mask. It was replaced by a masked figure shrouded in darkness.

" _Arsene!"_ Akira called, holding his hand out towards Yu.

Power swirled around Arsene, red and black shadows. Yu's eyes widened as the attack rushed towards him. He raised his katana to block it, but he hadn't been expecting the attack to connect with the force that it had. It swept him off of his feet and he flipped over in the air to stop himself from hitting the ground on his back. He landed on his feet, sliding back the next few feet.

Yu grit his teeth as Akira leaped in, raising his sword to block Akira's knife. He searched his mind for the Personas he had, meeting Akira's eyes over their crossed blades.

"Fine," he said, letting out a breath. "Have it your way."

He reached for the Persona that lurked at the bottom of his list, the darkness that mirrored his own light. Yu crushed the card in his free hand, keeping his eyes on Akira. A red and black version of Izanagi appeared behind him, raising its halberd. Its blow slammed into Akira hard, knocking him away from Yu.

Yu darted to the side to gain distance, quickly switching Magatsu-Izanagi out for Yoshitsune. He crushed the card, the samurai taking his place. It stepped towards Akira, launching into a series of eight strikes before the other boy had even hit the ground.

"Joker, look out!" a girl's voice shouted.

A Persona shaped like a comet came to hover in place in the air behind him, a green light emanating from it. The light formed a shield in front of Akira, blocking Hassou Tobi. Akira took the opportunity to land crouched on the ground, leaping out of the way. Yu's eyes widened as he raised a hand to his mask again, his expression growing savage.

He summoned Alice. Yu had half a second to register the small girl's appearance before a dark power emanated from her, several teddy bears running towards him with bombs strapped to them. Yu took a step back, frantically sorting through his Personas again.

"Oh no you don't!" Rise shouted before he could, a glowing version of her appearing between Yu and the attack. She raised her hands, forming a shield that blocked the explosion. Yu exhaled, releasing his mental grip on Magatsu-Izanagi.

He reached for Asura instead, casting Hamaon. Akira twisted out of the way of the attack, dodging it just in time, but Yu stepped in, bringing his sword up in a rising cut. He saw Akira's eyes widen behind his mask. The Phantom Thief blocked the blow with his knife, but the parry was unsteady, and Yu's attack drove him back, pushing him to the balcony railing. Yu saw him glance back, gauging the distance behind the railing before vaulting over it, landing on the ground below where his companions were fighting.

Yu looked down at the scene below him. "Yukiko!" he cried.

Yukiko opened one of her fans, sweeping it through the air in front of her in an elegant motion. "The scent of flowers wafts…" She flicked her wrist, swiping the fan through her Persona card and brandishing it at the Phantom Thieves. "Turn to scarlet!"

Sumeo-Okami's golden form appeared, a light as bright as the sun appearing between its hands. The blast cut through the darkness, and Yu heard the Phantom Thieves cry out as it struck them. He took the opportunity to close ranks with the other members of his team, running down to where Yukiko, Chie and Yosuke were standing.

When Sumeo-Okami faded, taking her light with her, the ground was smoking. He caught sight of two of the Phantom Thieves lying on the ground, groaning.

And then something moved out of the corner of his eye.

Yu's eyes widened, and he turned to see Akira Kurusu standing apart, darkness swirling around him. His Persona appeared—the dark figure that he had named Arsene, but there was something different about him now. Power swelled as Akira reached out, reaching for one of Arsene's chains.

Something pounded inside Yu's chest, rushing through his body like a heartbeat. He felt energy crackle to life around him as he faced the threat, all the energy of the storm.

 _Thou art I…_ a voice intoned. _I am thou…_

Light spread out in a circle around Yu, a sharp, static energy that contrasted harshly with Akira's darkness. Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko turned towards him, eyes wide.

"Partner?" Yosuke asked.

 _From the sea of thy soul, I come…_

The light reflected off of his glasses as he faced Akira. Akira met his gaze, closing his fist around the chains that surrounded Arsene. There was a shattering sound, and a sudden release of power. The energy building around Yu swelled to counter it, power flooding him.

"Yu!" shouted Chie.

"Yu-kun!" said Yukiko.

 _From the moment of my emergence, I have been a guiding light shed to illuminate thy path…_

"Yu!" Rise shouted, her voice echoing in his ear. "Yu, what are you doing?"

 _I am the original god…_

The darkness behind Akira took on shape and form, becoming a towering Persona.

Yu grinned.

" **SATANAEL!"** Akira shouted.

" **IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!"** Yu replied.

The white form of Izanagi-no-Okami appeared above him, and Yu felt himself flooded with power, with energy. Across from him, Akira raised his hand, pointing it towards him. Satanael raised a gun, a dark energy forming at the tip of it. Yu countered with Izanagi's power, with all the truths of the universe poured into a single attack.

The two attacks rushed at each other as Yu and Akira let out battle cries—Myriad Truths against Sinful Shell.

The resulting blast drowned out all light and sound, throwing both of them back.

* * *

When Joker came to, it felt like his head had been filled with cotton. Sound took a moment to return to him, and when it did, it was accompanied by a high-pitched ringing sound somewhere in his ear. He groaned, feeling like his tongue was too heavy for his mouth, and placed a hand over his face, opening his eyes.

It took a while for his vision to adjust. He could still see the glare of the blast behind his eyelids. When his sight cleared, he realized that the explosion had thrown him clear across the room. He was lying on the floor near the far wall, surrounded in a pile of rubble. The balcony above him had been blasted apart, and one of the chandeliers had fallen to the ground. Yu Narukami was lying on the complete opposite end of the room, in a crater that had formed in the marble staircase. His sword lay a few feet away from him, half-buried in the rubble.

Between them, the floor of the entrance hall was littered with the collapsed forms of their teammates. Beside him, Mona twitched, letting out a hiss of pain. Joker's eyes swept over the wreckage, doing a headcount. Everyone was accounted for, although no one was moving. Yet.

He hissed in pain, pushing himself to his feet. His mind spun and he nearly fell back over, but he managed to stay upright, moving slowly across the room. He made a stop at each of the Phantom Thieves, nudging them with his foot or bending down to check their breathing. Panther and Fox were out cold but alive, and it looked like Queen would be coming around soon. Skull actually blinked at him as he approached, then rolled over and threw his arm over his eyes. Noir, who was lying face down on the ground, let out a groan.

There weren't any serious casualties among the other team too, although Joker didn't do much more than make sure they were still breathing. He came to a swaying stop on the first step of the stairs, just in front of Narukami.

At first, he thought the police officer was unconscious. But then, one of Narukami's eyes opened from behind his glasses. The other looked to be swollen shut. He grimaced. "Ow."

"Yeah…" Joker said.

"Are my friends alright?"

"They're not dead."

"Good." Narukami closed his eyes, placing a hand over his glasses. "Let's—not do that again."

Joker nodded. "Okay." The last of his energy left him and he collapsed, falling forward like a marionette whose strings had been cut. He dimly registered landing on the staircase, the cold marble digging into his cheek.

Narukami coughed. "You ready to talk about this now?" he asked.

"Sure," Joker said. "Okay."

"Your team wasn't causing the psychotic breakdowns…" Narukami said.

"Nope," said Joker.

"You know who was?"

"No clue," said Joker. "We thought it was you."

"Yeah—that's fair," Narukami said. "You don't exactly have the best reasons to trust the police."

"I'm guessing you didn't kill those people in Inaba," Joker said.

"Nope."

"Who did?"

"Adachi," Narukami said, the word coming out in an exhausted breath. "Detective working the case."

Joker snorted. "Figures…" he said.

"And that thing in Tokyo?" Narukami asked. "Christmas Eve?"

"Evil god trying to enslave the world."

"Ah…okay, that makes sense." Narukami let out a breath. "So you guys are here…?"

"To stop the psychotic breakdowns," said Joker. "You?"

"Same."

"How'd you get in here?" Joker asked.

"Front door." Joker raised his head, giving Narukami an incredulous look. Narukami turned his head towards him, giving him a strained smile. "How did you get in?"

"Not the front door."

"Probably for the best," Narukami said. "The front door's not there anymore."

"Huh…" Joker said.

"Does your team know the way out?"

With some effort, Joker rolled over onto his back, searching the balcony that he had the others had come from. Or rather, the wreckage where the balcony had been. He stared at it for a long moment, making sure he understood what he was seeing, before he spoke.

"Sort of…" he said.

"We…destroyed it, didn't we?"

"You could say that."

Narukami let out a long sigh. "I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when everyone else gets up."

"Yeah, sure…" Joker mumbled, letting his own eyes drift shut. "I'll do that…"

* * *

"So it wasn't you guys that turned out the lights?" Skull asked an indeterminate amount of time later, as the Phantom Thieves and the members of Yu Narukami's team gathered in the center of the destroyed hallway.

"No, we were just as surprised as you," said the man in the suit from earlier—Yosuke Hanamura.

"We thought you guys were trying to ambush us or something," said Chie Satonaka, the woman dressed in the sheriff outfit.

"We thought the same thing," Queen said. She let out a sigh, turning towards Kanji. "I'm…sorry for my actions. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine," said Kanji, rubbing at the back of his head. "But man…Niijima, was it? You pack one heck of a punch."

Queen's eyes widened beneath her mask, an embarrassed flush appearing on her face. "I—ah—thank you," she said.

"There's still the matter of who fired the first shot," Fox said. "I was simply reacting. Was it you, Shirogane-san?"

"Ah—yes," said Naoto, looking embarrassed. "I apologize. I—I don't react very well to—to darkness."

"Afraid of the dark or not, you should be careful when you're holding a gun," Mona said. Narukami's team paused, looking around.

"Who said that?" the woman in red—Yukiko Amagi—asked.

"I did!" said Mona from his place beside Akira's feet. He bent his head, running his paws across the back of his ears and trying to smooth out his fur.

Yu's team froze, staring at him. Kanji opened his mouth, letting out a faint, high-pitched noise.

"Naoto…" he began.

"I see the cat, Kanji," Naoto said.

"Naoto, he looks like he's wearing _socks_!" Kanji said. "He looks so cute! Can I pet him?"

"You may _not_!" Mona said, arching his back.

Kanji took a step back. "Whoa, he talks!"

"Hmm…I knew there was something out of the ordinary about that cat," said Naoto, frowning. "What _are_ you, exactly?"

"I'm _Morgana_ ," Mona said. "I'm a Phantom Thief. And I'm not a cat—I mean, I _am_ a cat—I mean—ugh, never mind."

"It's a long story," Oracle supplied with a helpful smile.

"And we have bigger things to worry about," said Skull. "Like how we're getting out of here."

Both teams stopped talking, looking down at the ground as they thought through their predicament. A moment later, Fox looked up sharply, breaking the silence.

"Does anyone…hear that?" he asked.

Joker frowned, listening. There was a sound in the distance, approaching them. It sounded almost like…squeaking? Both teams tensed, reaching for weapons.

"Is someone else here?" Yukiko asked.

"Hang on," Oracle said, summoning her console. "I'm getting a reading. I think it's a…is it a Shadow?"

"It's coming this way!" Noir warned.

A figure stepped out of the darkness, waddling awkwardly towards them. Joker crouched down, drawing his knife. Yu's eyes widened. He straightened up, holding out a hand in front of Joker.

"Wait!" he said. "He's one of us!"

A large bear-like…thing waddled into the light, its feet making squeaking sounds as it stopped in front of them. It turned large eyes onto Yu.

"Sensei!" he said. "There you are! I thought I heard your voice here!"

"Teddie?!" Yosuke asked in astonishment, putting his daggers away.

"The hell are you doing here?" asked Kanji.

"I heard Sensei's voice, so I came to look for you," said Teddie. "This world is connected to that other one, you know. But I got beary lost and it took me a long time to find my way. I'm sorry, Sensei."

"Uh…someone gonna explain what this thing is?" Skull asked. "Is it a…mascot or something?"

"It's quite garish," Fox said, giving Teddie a critical look from beneath his mask.

Teddie turned towards him, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, who are you calling _garish_?" he asked. "I'll have you know that I'm made out of 100% Teddie fur!"

"I think it's cute," said Noir with a giggle, crouching down slightly to look Teddie in the eye.

Teddie turned towards her, surprised. "You…think I'm cute?" he asked, and although it was difficult to tell, Joker thought there was a flush on his face. "I don't know what to say."

"You can start by showing us the way out," Yosuke said, folding his arms. "You do know it, right?"

"I know _a_ way out," said Teddie. "Right this way!" He gave Noir a smile, bending at the waist in a comical bow. "You can walk right beside me, my lady."

Noir giggled, following Teddie.

"Great," Chie said, resting her hands on her hips. She shook her head. "There he goes again."

* * *

The 'way out' that Teddie led them to turned out to be a large plasma TV hung up on one of the tower's hallways, its screen displaying nothing but static. Yu's team walked towards it without another word, but the Phantom Thieves hung back, uncertain. Yu stopped walking, turning back to face them.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"That's the way out?" Mona asked. "Through a TV?"

"Oh, that's right, you guys probably don't know anything about the TV world," said Chie. "We used to go through TVs all the time."

"All the time?" Queen asked.

"That's how things worked in Inaba," said Rise, smiling. "Anyway, don't think about it too much."

"I agree," said Naoto. "Let's leave this place and head home. I'm sure we could all use the rest. We can talk about all of this tomorrow."

"Come to Leblanc," Joker said. "I'll tell Sojiro to expect you."

"That does sound like a good idea," said Naoto. "I think coffee will be very welcome after this." She turned towards Teddie. "Do you know what's on the other side of the TV?"

"Of course!" said Teddie, proudly. "It's Junes!"

"Wait, Junes?" Yosuke asked. "You do know we're in Tokyo right now, don't you?"

Teddie frowned in confusion, turning towards him. "Junes is Junes," he said. "Tokyo or Inaba. I'd know it anywhere!"

"I—well, I guess you have a point," said Yosuke, shaking his head. He turned towards the others. "Look, it's really late. If that is a Junes on the other side, it's closed by now. Try not to cause a disturbance on the way out."

"Don't worry," said Panther, smiling. "Sneaking out of things is our specialty. Right, Joker?"

"That's right," said Joker.

"We should go in groups," Mona said. "It will be easier to sneak out that way."

Joker nodded, looking around at the others. "Mona and I will go first," he said. "Along with two people from the other team. Wait ten minutes, and then send out another group. If we don't run into any problems, we'll meet in Leblanc in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," said Yosuke. "I'll come with. I know how to get out of Junes."

"I'll come too," said Chie. "Keep you guys out of trouble."

"Alright," said Joker, nodding at the others. "See you in the morning."

"See ya," said Skull.

Joker turned, gesturing at Mona to follow. He pulled himself into the TV, the world swirling and changing around him.

* * *

 **Phantom Thief Group Chat – 07/29**

 **Ryuji:** So basically we snuck into a tower, wrecked a building, got rescued by a weird bear thing and came back out through a TV.

 **Ann:** Sounds about right.

 **Makoto:** That's the gist of it.

 **Futaba:** I swear, if I hear another 'bear' pun…

 **Yusuke:** Yes, those puns were quite

 **Yusuke:** catastrophic.

 **Futaba:** …

 **Yusuke:** Futaba, do you understand the reference?

 **Yusuke:** They are 'catastrophic' because Morgana is a 'cat'.

 **Yusuke:** It is a pun.

 **Yusuke:** …Futaba?

 _Yusuke has been removed from the group._

 **Futaba:** Night, everyone!


	17. Dissonance

**A/N:** Things are slowing down a little after the last chapter, as we leave Phase One and get into Phase Two. That means we get more time to have fun scenes. Hope you guys enjoy it and thank you so much for all your support!

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/30 (Sun)**_

 _ **Morning**_

Akira woke up the next morning feeling like he had been hit by a train.

There was a deep ache in all of his limbs and a throbbing pain behind his eyelids that wouldn't go away. A heavy weight pressed down on his chest and the feel of it confused him momentarily before he realized that it was just Morgana, curled up in a ball and twitching in his sleep. He placed a hand over Morgana's head and closed his eyes again, taking slow deep breaths.

Yu Narukami.

When he closed his eyes, he could still see the light that rushed towards him, rising up to meet Sinful Shell. What possessed him to use that particular attack, he wouldn't know, but the explosion had cleared up some things at least. Like where he and Narukami's team stood.

Nothing like a potentially apocalyptic blast to make two groups reconsider fighting each other.

The seconds ticked past, and he idly scratched Morgana behind the ears, feeling the heaviness that permeated his entire being. He didn't want to get up, but the others would eventually begin to arrive, and he doubted that waiting would make the process less unpleasant.

With a groan, Akira nudged Morgana off of himself and sat up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, getting to his feet. Morgana made a yowl of protest, opening one eye and fixing him with a blue stare before curling up again on the sheets. Akira shot the cat a jealous look, running his fingers through his hair. He picked up his phone, scrolling through it to make sure that the members of the Phantom Thieves had made it home last night, then dressed and made his way gingerly down the stairs.

Sojiro was waiting when he reached the bottom, and from the look on his face, Futaba had already told him about the meeting today. The fact that Sojiro hadn't opened the café for the morning supported that assumption. Akira shambled over to the counter, dropping into a seat. Sojiro scowled at him, but there was already a cup of coffee and a plate of curry waiting.

Akira's stomach growled in appreciation, even if the rest of him felt like he would rather crawl into a hole and wait a few thousand years before coming out again. He took a bite of food, looking up at Sojiro.

"Futaba?" he asked.

"She was asleep when I left," Sojiro said, wiping down the counter. He gave Akira a sidelong glance. "Rough night?"

"You should see the other guy," Akira said, taking a sip of coffee.

Sojiro snorted. "Don't get cocky with me," he said. He glanced at the door of the café. "So when are they showing up?"

"Don't know," Akira said, "We didn't really set a time."

Sojiro turned to look at him, and for a moment, Akira braced himself for an argument or more questioning. Instead, Sojiro let out a heavy sigh, turning back towards the kitchen. "Let me make sure I have enough curry," he said.

Akira exhaled. "Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," Sojiro said. "You can pay me back by helping out in the café tomorrow. And take some painkillers or something. You look like crap."

Akira nodded, thinking back to some of the medicines he still had from Takemi. "Yeah," he said, taking another bite of food. "Yeah, I'll do that."

* * *

With everything that had happened in Inaba six years ago, Yosuke Hanamura was used to a certain level of weird, but waking up on an unfamiliar couch to find a familiar blue-eyed blond boy staring at you from about five inches away was a different story.

He screamed. Teddie screamed.

From the bedroom, he heard the sound of feet hitting the ground quickly, and then Yu burst out through the door—sword in hand and Rise behind him—to find Teddie and Yosuke still screaming.

All in all, it was a rough morning.

When everything had settled down, Yosuke glared across the kitchen table at Teddie, who was happily eating the pancakes placed down in front of him—when did Yu even have the time to make _pancakes_? He ran a hand through his hair, feeling like he had lost years off of his life.

"Dude," Yosuke said, "Don't _do_ that! How did you even get in here anyway?"

"I came in through the TV," Teddie said like that was obvious, and maybe it was. "Mm, Sensei, your cooking is amazing as always!"

"Thanks," Yu said, picking up Teddie's empty plate.

"Rise-chan's apartment sure is nice," Teddie said, looking around. "Are you staying here all by yourself, Yosuke?"

"Yes, I am, and no, you can't stay here," Yosuke said. "Do you even know what's going on right now?"

"Nope," Teddie said, cheerfully. "But it sounds like trouble, so I'm here to help! I'm sure I'll figure it out sometime."

"You'll probably get filled in at the meeting," Rise said, stepping into the kitchen. She had changed out of her sleeping clothes and looked ready for the day—and considerably happier than Yosuke felt at that moment. She walked up to Yu, casually kissing him on the cheek, and Yosuke tried not to feel a touch of jealousy.

"Do I get a kiss too, Rise-chan?" Teddie asked, blinking wide blue eyes at Rise hopefully.

Rise giggled, turning towards him. "Aww, Teddie~" she said, pressing her fingers to her lips and blowing him a kiss. She did it in full Risette form, finishing it up with a wink, and—yeah, there was the jealousy. Yosuke hid it by taking a bite of food, watching as Rise turned back to Yu.

"Do we know what time we're meeting them?" she asked.

"I don't think we have a set time," said Yu, checking his phone. "Kurusu says to come whenever."

"You exchanged phone numbers with that kid?" Yosuke asked. "When did you have time to do that?"

"I didn't," said Yu.

"Naoto-kun had Makoto-chan's number," said Rise, helpfully. "And Makoto-chan put Naoto-kun in touch with Akira-kun."

"And Naoto passed it on," said Yosuke, nodding. "Makes sense."

Teddie looked between them all, frowning. "These are those people we met last night?" he asked. "The other Persona users?"

"Yep," Yosuke said, "We're meeting up with them to find out what they know."

"Kanji and Naoto are up," Yu said, looking up from his phone. "Naoto says they'll pick up Chie and Yukiko and meet us at Yongen-jaya if we're ready to go."

Yosuke looked down at his half-eaten breakfast, considering it for a moment. He ate another quick bite, then got to his feet, nodding at Yu. "Alright," he said. "Let's get going. Ted, we'll fill you in on the way."

* * *

 _ **Daytime**_

Yu, Yosuke, Rise and Teddie were the last people to arrive at Leblanc for the meeting. By the time they walked in through the door, the others were already there, spread out across two booths and the counter of the café.

"Hey, sorry we're late," Yosuke said, inclining his head at the blond boy that was with them. "This guy had to stop and look at everything, and then some paparazzi recognized Rise-chan."

"I've never been to Tokyo before," the blond boy said. "I want to see _every_ part of the place Sensei lives!"

"Every part?" Chie asked. "That's gonna take a while."

"Who's this guy?" Ryuji asked from his seat at the booth, gesturing at Teddie. "Another one of your members?"

"This might be a shock, Ryuji-kun," Yukiko said, "But that's Teddie."

The Phantom Thieves sat up sharply, turning to look at the blond boy.

"What?" Futaba asked. " _That's_ the bear we met last night?!"

"The one and only," said Teddie proudly, standing up straighter.

"You're human?" Morgana asked, looking up at Teddie from where he was sitting on one of the tables. "But—but _how_?!"

"I did a lot of sit-ups," said Teddie, "And then I was able to get this form. It was beary simple."

"Sit-ups?" Morgana repeated, eyes wide. "Akira, I want to do sit-ups!"

"Dude, you're a _cat_ ," said Ryuji. "How're you even going to do sit-ups?"

"I'll—I'll figure something out!" said Morgana. "I'll—I'll keep trying!"

He rolled over onto his back, legs flailing in the air as he tried to curl up. Kanji, who was seated at the same table as Ryuji, made a strangled noise and looked like he was trying very hard to keep his hands to himself. Naoto, seeing this, cleared her throat.

"At any rate," she said. "I think introductions are in order. I know all of your names, but considering you were using codenames last night, would you mind introducing yourselves to the group? We'll do the same, of course."

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask," said Chie, "What was up with those codenames anyway?"

"It's a habit we picked up from when we were changing hearts," said Makoto.

Morgana nodded, giving up on the sit-ups for now and rolling, somewhat disconsolately, back up to his feet. "At the time, we were traveling through Palaces, manifestations of our target's distorted desires."

"I see," said Naoto. "So being in the cognitive realm, you decided it would be unwise to use your real names, in case they became embedded in your target's consciousness for one reason or another. Very smart."

"You figured that out just from _that_?" Ryuji asked, giving Naoto an incredulous stare.

Yosuke grinned, folding his arms. "You do know you're talking to the Detective Prince, don't you?" he asked.

"Naoto-kun can figure out anything," Rise added, smiling. "Just don't invite her onto your talk show."

Naoto flushed, lowering her eyes to the table. "I'm not one for frivolous questions," she said, by way of explanation.

"You'll forgive us for our skepticism," said Yusuke, "Our last encounter with a…detective left much to be desired."

"Are you talking about Goro Akechi?" Naoto asked. "The one responsible for the psychotic breakdowns?"

The Phantom Thieves jumped.

" _Okay_ ," Ryuji said. "Now you're creeping me out."

"How can you possibly know about that?" asked Ann.

"It wasn't hard to put together once I realized that most of Akechi-san's 'cases' involved people who had undergone a severe change in behavior," said Naoto. "I suspect that Akechi-san was using the psychotic breakdowns to gain a reputation as a detective. Is that correct?"

She addressed the question towards Akira, who was sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee. Akira nodded, keeping his eyes on her.

"Was Akechi acting on his own?" Naoto asked.

"No," Akira said. "He was working for Shido."

"I see," said Naoto. "I thought it might be something like that." She frowned, thinking it through. "So, now we come to the crux of the matter. What happened to him?"

"He died," said Akira. "In the cognitive realm."

"He died?" Naoto asked. "By whose hand?"

The Phantom Thieves exchanged glances, a few of their members bristling. From where she was seated, Haru straightened up, indignant. "Are you trying to ask if we killed him?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am," said Naoto. She looked away from Haru, letting her eyes sweep over the group before turning them on Akira again. "To be blunt, I cannot speak for my colleagues, but unless you can answer this question to my satisfaction, I will not be working with you."

The room went quiet at Naoto's words, the members of both teams turning to look at her.

"Naoto-kun!" Yukiko said, surprised.

"Hey—Naoto—," said Kanji.

"Are you serious?" asked Yosuke.

Naoto looked past them, meeting Yu's eyes. "Is that acceptable, Yu?"

Yu held her gaze for a moment before nodding, a faint smile on his face. His arms were folded. "Everyone's here because they want to be," he said. "I'm not going to stop you from leaving."

"So," Naoto said, looking back at Akira. "Which is it?"

"We didn't kill him," Akira said, and although the words came out calmly, there was something in his voice that suggested a deeper rage, one that was directed against more than just Naoto. "He betrayed us, but he died saving our lives. We got Shido back for it in the end."

Naoto stared at Akira for a few long moments, keeping her eyes on his. Then, she nodded.

"Very well," she said, "I'll accept that answer. Shall we proceed with those introductions, now?"

It took a while for the mood to lighten after that, but somehow, both teams managed to get through introducing themselves to each other, with the Phantom Thieves also giving their codenames in addition to their real names. At the end of the introduction, the Phantom Thieves turned the tables on the Investigation Team, asking them about the murders in Inaba. The conversation turned, eventually, to the way their Personas had awakened.

"You had to _fight_ your own Shadows?" Ann asked, surprised.

"Sort of," said Chie. "We had to _accept_ our Shadows. Although, the way we all were back then…"

"It boiled down to a fight," Kanji said. "For pretty much all of us."

"I see," said Makoto.

"Hey, that's kind of how your Persona awakened, isn't it?" asked Ryuji, turning towards Futaba. "I don't remember you having to rip off a mask or anything."

Futaba nodded. "I talked to my Shadow," she said. "And once I accepted her, she became my Persona. But I was _in_ my own Palace when that happened."

"It sounds like what happened to you is a lot like what happened to rest of us," said Yukiko, "Aside from Yosuke-kun, Yu-kun, and Chie, we were all in our own Midnight Channel areas when our Personas awakened."

"It's entirely possible that this 'Midnight Channel' was some kind of proto-Metaverse," said Morgana, sitting upright. His tail moved from left to right as he thought. "Putting you in the TV brought your own 'distorted desires' to light, making something almost like a Palace."

"Except ours didn't have a set shape or form," said Yosuke. "I mean, from what you guys are saying, these Palaces were really complex. You could leave and come back and things would be the same."

"What you're describing sounds a lot like what we experienced with Mementos," said Makoto. "It was a place where the environment was always shifting and changing, because it was reflecting the minds of a whole city."

"That's why I'm saying they weren't really Palaces," said Morgana. "But given enough _time_ , they could have been. It's interesting."

"It does make you wonder how everything's connected," Rise mused. She looked over at the others. "You didn't have to face your Shadows to awaken your Personas?"

"Not the way you describe it, no," said Haru, shaking her head.

"Our trigger was the spirit of rebellion," said Yusuke. "Our Shadows did speak to us, but…"

"But you had to tear off your masks instead," Yukiko finished.

"I don't really get it," said Kanji. "But either way, doesn't it sound like you had to be yourself to get your Persona? I mean, like, facin' your true self versus manning up and choosing not to hide—what's the difference?"

"Either way," said Teddie, "It's not easy. When that other me showed up, I didn't know what to do. It was unbearable."

"Indeed," said Naoto. "We'll leave the debate as to which was more painful for another time."

"That aside," said Yusuke, looking at Teddie. "Are you really a Shadow?"

"Yup," Teddie said. "I don't know how it happened either, but somehow, I started…thinking. And then I changed and decided to help Sensei and the others."

"It's kind of complicated," Yosuke said. "I don't think Teddie understands it himself. But what about you, Morgana? You never told us what you are."

"Ah—well, that's…" said Morgana. He looked around at the others, grasping for words, before looking back at Yosuke. "It's—a little complicated. I'm…sort of an attendant? Or I was. I was made to help Akira. But now I'm just a cat. I'm going to be human someday."

"Attendant?" Chie asked.

"Do you mean a Velvet Room attendant?" Yu asked.

Silence descended over the group.

"That weird room you were telling us about?" Chie asked, at the same time as Ryuji said, "You _know_ about the Velvet Room?"

"I'm a guest," said Yu. He looked over at Akira. "I'm guessing you are as well?"

Akira nodded. Morgana looked uncomfortable.

"Yes…" he said. "I mean _that_ Velvet Room. But I'm not an ordinary attendant, like Lavenza and the others. It's…complicated."

"Sounds like it," said Kanji, making a face. "So the gist is…you're a cat that talks."

Morgana nodded. "For now."

"Well, I think we've exhausted this subject," said Naoto. "It's clear that our next move going forward should be to explore that tower. If we do that, it makes sense that both our teams should work together. Is everyone in agreement on that?"

The members of both teams nodded.

"But if we are going to explore it," Morgana said, "We're _not_ going in through the front door. That's one of the core rules of being a Phantom Thief!"

"But we aren't Phantom Thieves," said Yosuke. "And the front door's always worked for us."

"That explains the security level…" Futaba muttered dryly. She sat up, looking around at the others. "Seriously, you know there's a boss monster somewhere inside the building. Who goes through the front door?!"

"Police," Yu said, in a deadpan tone.

The people closest to him turned to look at him.

"Well, he's got a point," said Chie.

"If you're going to work with us, you're going to work with our rules," said Morgana. "And our rules are to not draw unnecessary attention onto ourselves. Got it?"

The members of the Investigation Team exchanged glances, shrugging.

"I mean, it's your turf," said Kanji.

Yu nodded. "It's fine by me. Are we heading in tonight?"

"That's probably for the best," said Akira. He looked around at the Phantom Thieves. "Everyone alright with tonight?" When no one voiced their disagreement, he looked back at Yu. "We'll meet you there."

* * *

 _ **Evening**_

Since it was after hours, the Junes with the television that they had escaped from was closed, and neither team felt particularly keen about trying to get in through a random TV. They entered the remnant through the entrance that the Phantom Thieves had found, appearing on the street not far from the tower. The combined members of both teams assembled on the sidewalk, well out of sight of the house.

"That's a small entrance," Teddie said, squeezing through it in his bear form with some effort. "I don't know how all of you guys managed it."

"It's because we're not wearing mascot costumes, Ted," said Yosuke, impatiently. "Take off the bear suit!"

"Take it off?" Teddie asked, looking down at his hands. "But this is how I'm known in this world." He blinked, looking around at all of the others. "Wait a minute. You're all in costume too!"

"It seems to be something about how the other world in Tokyo works," Yukiko said.

"Yeah," said Skull. "I don't really understand it or anything, but once we got our Personas, our clothes changed. I think it has to do with how we perceive ourselves."

"I don't really mind it," said Chie, hopping from foot to foot. "This is cool!"

"Well, I don't want to be the only person without a costume!" said Teddie. "That's not fair, Sensei…"

"Man, what're you gonna do?" asked Kanji. "You're already wearing a bear suit."

Teddie gave Kanji an indignant glare, turning to face Yu. "I'll show you all my true power!" he said. "Watch this: TRANSFORM!" He pumped his fist into the air, light surrounding him. Inside the light, the bear suit was stripped away, replaced by a suit of white armor with a gold cape flowing behind it. As the light faded, Teddie grinned, removing his helmet and revealing blue eyes and blond hair. "Super Teddie Ranger!"

"Whoa…" said Oracle. "You look just like Neo Featherman!"

"I'm here to save the day," Teddie said, winking at Oracle. "Baby~"

"Aaand, interest lost," said Oracle, looking away. "Let me know when we're ready to infiltrate the castle."

"Well, we better do it soon," said Mona, fixing Teddie with a blue-eyed glare. "Thanks to that display, every Shadow around probably knows we're here."

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," said Teddie, sweeping his hair back.

Mona made a discontented noise, turning towards Joker. "Let's go," he said, "I don't like being out here."

Without waiting for a response, he started walking. Skull frowned, watching as Mona made his way down the empty street.

"What's up with him?" he asked Joker.

Joker shrugged, but followed him.

* * *

"Let's go, Takehaya Susano-o!" Yosuke yelled, slicing through his Persona card with in one quick movement.

The Persona appeared in the air, accompanied by the roar of the wind. Wind tore through the two enemies that stood in front of them, the Shadows dissolving into dust. Yosuke grinned, tossing one of his knives into the air and catching it by the hilt. Takehaya Susano-o vanished, fading into light.

"What did you say your Persona's name was?" Fox asked, glancing at him sidelong from behind his mask.

"Takehaya Susano-o," said Yosuke. "What was yours again?"

"Kamu…Susano-o," said Fox. "And your name is…Yosuke-san?"

"Yeah," said Yosuke. "And you're…Yusuke, right?"

"Yes," Fox said, frowning. "You see the problem. One of us is going to have to change."

"Well I had my Persona first!" Yosuke said. "You change."

"How exactly am I supposed to do that?" asked Fox. "Kamu Susano-o is _my_ Persona."

"And Takehaya Susano-o's mine," said Yosuke. "What's it even matter if they're the same?"

"It clearly matters!" said Fox, drawing himself up to his full height. "One's Persona is their identity. If I share a Persona with you, then…" He looked Yosuke up and down, trailing off.

Yosuke folded his arms. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he said.

From his position behind them, Joker sighed, looking over at Yu who had his arms folded.

"Honestly, I expected this," Yu said.

Joker nodded.

So far, the merging of the two teams was going—well, 'smoothly' would be a strong word. By the time they picked their way through the rubble of the previous battle and continued on, everyone was on edge. It didn't help that both teams had been antagonistic to each other at the start, and while they were now on board with the idea of working together, there were still some rough edges to work through.

"Joker!" Oracle said from up ahead. "I sense a safe room not far from here."

"I sense it too, Yu," said Rise, an image of her appearing in front of the two of them. "Should we take a break?"

* * *

It took some time for the rest of the Investigation Team to walk with Rise from the previous safe room, but eventually, the members of both teams had taken up places around the safe room's long table. It wasn't all bad, Joker noted, leaning against the wall and studying the room. Some members of the different teams were getting along. Makoto and Chie had bonded over a shared love of action movies, and Futaba and Rise were happily discussing their support roles and the differences between their Personas.

"There's something that's been bugging me," Futaba said, from where she was hunched over on the couch next to Rise. "But, how did you hack into Prometheus?"

"Hack?" Rise asked, blinking at Futaba. Her eyes widened in realization, and she giggled. "Oh, is that how it appeared to you? I just wanted to stop you from spying on us. But you're a hacker, aren't you, Futaba-chan? I think it has something to do with, um… _perception_?"

"Oh, I get it!" said Futaba. "Since I think about computers a lot, I saw it as being hacked. But you were visualizing it as something else?"

Rise nodded. "I thought of it as shooing the paparazzi away," she said. "Closing the curtain, you know. I don't really think of what I do as…computers or machinery. It's more like…I'm watching everyone. Getting everything into place."

"More psychic," Futaba said. "Touchy-feely stuff, like manipulating everyone's energies. Is that it?" When Rise blinked at her, Futaba smiled. "Kouzeon? The bodhisattva who observes the world and everything that composes it? Yeah, I've read a book."

Joker looked away from their conversation. If he focused on the two of them, and on people like Yukiko and Haru, who were having a conversation about the Amagi Inn, things looked like they were going well. But Kanji and Ryuji were talking in quiet tones about something that seemed to have Ryuji on the defensive, and Morgana and Teddie were _clearly_ not getting along.

Joker mused that if they didn't fix this soon, whatever was waiting at the top of this tower wouldn't even have to do anything. They would destroy themselves on the way up.

A disturbing thought struck him, and he wondered, looking over the mixed group, if that might have been the plan.

"You look like someone with a lot on your mind," Naoto said, walking over to him. "Joker…was it?"

Joker gave her a sidelong glance. "Yeah," he said. "I was just thinking…it was really convenient that the lights went off when they did."

"Indeed," Naoto said. She gave him a knowing look. "Almost as if someone knew that making us fight would be the best way to deal with both of our teams."

"Something you want to say?" Joker asked.

"Just that we should be wary," Naoto said. "We're dealing with a foe that has the ability to warp minds. And we've entered its domain. I feel as though this is the sort of thing that will only get more complicated before it ends."

Joker thought back to the creature he'd seen over the house, the threads that emanated from it. A chill ran down his spine. "You don't have to tell me twice," he said.

"Good," said Naoto, nodding. "I'm about to tell Yu the same thing. Excuse me for a minute."

She nodded at him, walking over to where Yu was seated. Joker watched them talk for a second before he turned away, going to join the other members of his team.

* * *

 **Investigation Team Group Chat – 07/30**

 **Yu:** Hellooooo, mon cherie~

 **Yukiko:** Yu-kun?

 **Kanji:** Senpai?

 **Chie:** Uh….you feeling okay?

 **Yu:** I'm feeling stupendous!

 **Yu:** Absolutely wonderful! Marvelous!

 **Chie:** …You know, I get the sense this isn't Yu.

 **Yosuke:** Yeah, what gave it away, Ace Detective?

 **Yu?:** I simply can't bear how great I feel!

 **Yosuke:** Teddie, knock it off and give Yu his phone!

 **Chie:** You take it from him! You live with him.

 **Yosuke:** I can't! I'm at a convenience store right now.

 **Yu?:** I'm a very modern bear.

 **Yu?:** I've come into the digital age!

 **Yu?:** The world of information at my fingertips.

 **Yu?:** And all these pictures of Rise-chan!

 **Chie:** Oh no…

 **Yosuke:** That's it, I'm heading back.

* * *

 **Outfit Reference and Finishing Line for Teddie**

Outfit: Based on a cross between Neo Featherman/sentai shows and Western comic book superheroes. The intent is to display both Teddie's earnestness and over-the-top tendencies and his artificial nature.

Finishing Quote: "This is my _true_ self!"


	18. Waves

**A/N:** Hey all! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. We had some trouble getting it written and beta'd across distance (like I predicted we would). But glad that you're enjoying this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

* * *

 _ **20XY/07/31 (Mon)**_

 _ **Morning**_

 _Pi pi pi pi pi_

Akira groaned, opening his eyes and blindly groping for his phone with the other hand. It was the middle of the night, and Morgana lay curled up next to him, quietly dozing. He scrolled through his messages, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. The person who had texted him was Ann. He squinted at the sudden bright light of his phone screen, reading through the message chain.

 **Ann:** So…!

 **Ann:** Beach party tomorrow!

 **Ann:** Rise-san and I came up with the idea.

 **Ann:** It's going to help us work together as a team.

 **Ann:** You'll be there, right?

Akira frowned at his phone, momentarily confused as to what she was talking about. The memory came back to him in fragments—the Investigation Team, his fight with Yu, the fact that they were now working together, their disastrous attempt at scaling the tower yesterday.

He typed out a quick response.

 **Akira:** Sounds good. I'll be there.

 **Ann:** Awesome!

 **Ann:** I'm letting Ryuji know.

 **Ann:** You guys are in charge of the cooler.

 **Ann:** We'll meet at Leblanc.

 **Akira:** Alright. Good night.

 **Ann:** Night!

She followed it up with a heart icon and a kissing emoji. Akira smiled, rubbing at his tired eyes as he responded with another heart. Then, he lay the phone back onto the bed next to him, closing his eyes and going back to sleep.

It seemed like he had made plans for the day.

* * *

"When you said the beach, I thought you meant, like, Miura Beach, not that we'd be going on a road trip," Ryuji said, helping Akira unload the cooler out of the back of the van. "Not that I'm complaining. I mean, it's a nice day."

The two of them lowered the cooler to the ground, and Akira turned towards the box of food that Haru had brought. He nudged it with one hand, testing its weight. The box failed to move. Akira frowned at it, tilting his head and wondering how they were going to get it out of the back.

"It's probably because of Rise," Akira said. "Miura Beach gets pretty crowded."

"Ah, the trials of fame," said Morgana, jumping down from the van and padding across the sand. "That's why a Phantom Thief never reveals their identity."

"This place is much nicer anyway," said Haru, lifting the box out of the back of the van with a smile on her face. Akira stopped to stare, watching as she held it nonchalantly with both hands. "I've been here before. It's a lot quieter."

"Wait, so it's some kind of exclusive resort or something?" Ryuji asked, helping Akira lift the cooler again. The two of them followed Haru.

Haru tilted her head to the side, frowning in thought. "Hmm…I wouldn't say it's a resort," she said. "But it is more like a private beach. We won't be bothered by paparazzi here. Yusuke-kun, do you need any help with that?"

"No," said Yusuke, who was carrying a pair of beach chairs. "That's quite alright, Haru. I can handle it."

"You know," said Ryuji, watching as Haru walked away. "I keep forgetting that Haru's like—."

"—ridiculously strong?" Akira supplied, still staring at her.

"No, dude. What?" Ryuji asked, "I meant _famous_."

"Oh, right," Akira said, nodding. "She is that. Yeah."

The two of them reached the beach, where the other members of their joint team had started setting up. Ann, Akira noticed, had somehow already changed into a swimsuit. She smiled at them, striking a pose.

"What do you think?" she asked, "It's from that summer line I modeled for. They let me keep it."

"Looks great, Ann," Akira said, smiling at Ryuji, who had gone slack-jawed. Ann grinned, following Akira's line of sight.

Ryuji, noticing that he was staring, quickly straightened up, coughing.

"Uh," he said. "I mean, I guess. If you're into that. Whatever."

Ann laughed, shaking her head. "If you're looking for Makoto, she's over there," she said, pointing off into the distance. "She's looking at Kanji-san and Naoto-san's bike."

"What?" Ryuji asked, giving Ann an incredulous look. "Why would I be looking for Makot—wait, bike?"

Ryuji turned to look. Sure enough, Makoto was deep in conversation with Naoto Shirogane, although it was clear from the way her eyes kept wandering that her attention was not on the detective, but on the sleek black motorcycle behind her.

"I'm gonna go check the bike out," Ryuji said. "I'll be back in a sec."

"Sure," Ann said, stepping closer to Akira. She looped an arm through his. "It's the bike he's interested in."

Akira smiled, but his reply was cut off by a shrill outburst from Futaba.

"Inari, _what_ are you doing?"

They looked over their shoulders.

"I'm simply putting the chairs in the most aesthetically pleasing configuration," Yusuke said, placing a chair down next to the blanket that Futaba was sitting on. She shot him a glare.

"You're getting sand all over my laptop!" she said.

"Well," said Yusuke, "Perhaps this problem could be solved by you _not_ bringing sensitive electronics to the beach."

"Perhaps this problem could be solved by you minding your own business!" Futaba said.

"Fighting already?" Yu asked, approaching Akira and Ann. Rise and Yosuke were with him, the three of them already dressed in swimsuits.

"If it makes you feel better," Akira said. "It's all our team."

Whatever Yu was about to say was cut off by a high-pitched shout of rage.

"You did that on _purpose_!" Futaba screamed.

"Why would I do that on purpose?" Yusuke asked. "What would I _possibly_ stand to gain?"

Ann looked back at them, then at Yu and the others, offering them a nervous smile. "They—uh—they actually really care about each other."

"Don't worry," said Yosuke. "We've got some of that on our side too."

"Speaking of our side," said Rise, looking around, "Has anyone seen Chie-chan and Yukiko-chan?"

"I think they went to start the barbecue," said Ann, frowning in thought. "But I'm not really sure."

Akira wasn't prepared for the way the color drained from both Yosuke and Yu's faces, the two of them exchanging worried glances. Rise, he noticed, seemed completely unfazed.

"Oh God," Yosuke said. "We've gotta stop them."

Yu nodded. Akira frowned.

"…Why?" he asked.

"Don't ask questions, kid," said Yosuke. "This is a mission of critical importance. To the grill!"

He took off at a run, Yu following him. Rise watched them go, letting out a forlorn sigh. "Oh well," she said. "You should hurry up and get changed into your swimsuit, Akira-kun. It'll be fun."

* * *

Things had settled down by the time Akira stepped out of the changing room. Most of the Phantom Thieves and the Investigation Team had found places to sit around their chosen spot, and while Futaba was still shooting Yusuke injured looks every chance she got, she had changed into her swimsuit and moved her laptop onto the much safer place of a beach chair. The smell coming from the grill was…interesting, but it seemed like Yu and Yosuke had been able to stop whatever impending disaster was about to occur. Yu had now taken over the grill completely, aided and abetted by Teddie, who stuck by him to watch 'Sensei's secret barbecue technique'. The others had inevitably drifted off to do various activities.

Makoto, Chie and Ann had gone swimming. Yusuke was sketching. Yukiko was walking the coastline, collecting shells. Naoto lay on the blanket, dressed in a simple one-piece swimsuit, reading a book. Kanji…appeared to be knitting.

"It's a scarf for Morgana," Kanji said, when Akira shot him a questioning look. "Figured it'd look pretty cute on him."

He hunched over in his beach chair, knitting needles quietly clicking. Akira decided to leave him to it.

"You're quite good at that, Kanji-san," Yusuke commented, looking up from his sketchbook.

"Huh?" Kanji asked, glancing at Yusuke. "Oh, thanks. You drawin' the beach?"

"So far," Yusuke said, tapping his pencil along the top of his sketchbook. "But it lacks…something. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Eh, don't think about it too hard. You'll figure it out."

"Ta-da!" Ryuji said, stepping out of the changing room wearing a purple and green monstrosity that at some point had likely been sold as swim trunks. "Got a new swimsuit the other day. What do you think?"

Kanji and Yusuke both stopped what they were doing, turning to look at him.

"Dude," Kanji said, shaking his head. "No."

"I agree," said Yusuke. "That looks hideous."

Ryuji scowled at them, his face falling. "Ah, what would you guys know?" he asked.

"For real," said Kanji. "If you wanna look good, you're better off going simple. Too many colors, things get a little confusing."

"I'd have to agree with Kanji-san," said Yusuke. "That color is certainly not doing you any favors. Perhaps you should try…" He paused, catching sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Yukiko had bent down to pick up a shell. The sun gleamed off of the ocean just right, reflecting on her long cascade of black hair. Yusuke jumped to his feet. "That pose, that lighting, it's perfect! Yukiko-san, do not move!"

He ran up to her, coming to stand in front of her. Yukiko looked up at him, perplexed.

"Your beauty is exquisite!" Yusuke declared. "I must paint you!"

Yukiko blinked at him, and for a moment, Akira saw confusion on her face. And then her eyes narrowed and she straightened up, slapping Yusuke hard across the face. The sound of the slap rang through the air, drawing everyone's attention. They watched as Yukiko turned, walking away in a huff. Yusuke straightened up, placing one hand on his reddened cheek and staring at Yukiko with a bewildered expression.

From beside Akira, Yosuke sighed, looking up from his cellphone. "And the Amagi Curse claims another victim," he said. "Poor guy never saw it coming."

From Akira's other side, Futaba made a noise of frustration, pulling her laptop closed with a snap.

* * *

The group came together again for lunch, and after eating, Ryuji and the others started organizing a volleyball game—Phantom Thieves against Investigation Team. Akira, who was still feeling somewhat tired from the battle with Yu, elected to watch the proceedings instead of play. He settled down onto one of the beach chairs with a cold soda and was contemplating the merits of putting on another coat of sunscreen when he realized that Morgana was nowhere to be found.

He stood up, slipping away from the group, and found the cat standing at the edge of the water, looking out at the distant horizon. The waves lapped gently at the shore, occasionally brushing up against Morgana's paws. Akira came to stand next to him, noticing the way that Morgana's ears were drooping.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

Morgana jumped. That in itself was telling; it was usually very hard to sneak up on Morgana.

"Oh, A-Akira!" Morgana said, turning to face him. "Everything's fine. I'm just…thinking."

Akira dropped down into a seat in the sand, resting his arms on his knees. "You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I'm just remembering last year," Morgana said. "Coming to the beach after recruiting Futaba. A lot's changed since then…"

Akira remembered. He also remembered having a similar conversation with Morgana. He looked at the cat, waiting for him to speak. Morgana's tail flicked back and forth across the sand, as if he was grasping for the words.

"When I lost my powers," he said, "I didn't really mind it. I thought that my mission was complete. I was okay with being an ordinary cat, as long as I got to stay with you."

"But now?" Akira asked.

"Now I'm not so sure…" Morgana admitted, looking down at the sand. "I still want to be human, but—that's not what this is about. I miss being…useful. I miss being a Phantom Thief."

"You're still a Phantom Thief," Akira said.

"That's not what I meant," said Morgana. He hunched over, looking down at his paws. "I miss being able to fight with you all. I miss…Mercurius." The last word was said softly, almost too soft to hear. Morgana let out a dejected sigh, and Akira reached out, patting him on the head.

"Let's go to the Velvet Room," he said. "Lavenza might know what to do."

Morgana sniffed. He didn't seem very hopeful, but he nodded his head. "Okay…" he said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Akira said. "You're part of the team. We'll figure something out, alright?"

"Alright," Morgana said. "Thanks for listening, Akira."

"No problem," Akira said.

"Hey, Morgana!" Ryuji shouted, his voice loud enough to echo across the expanse of coastline. "Where are you? You better hurry up, or all this fish will be gone!"

"Fish?" Morgana asked, pulling his head out from under Akira's hand. "Why didn't anyone tell me there was fish?!"

"Oh, a fisherman came by while we were eating lunch," Akira said, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "We threw some on the grill. You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't know!" Morgana said. "I didn't eat with you guys, remember?"

"We saved you a plate," said Akira.

"You could have told me that _sooner_!" Morgana said, running off. "I'm coming, Ryuji! Don't touch that fish!"

Akira watched as Morgana flew across the beach, kicking up sand in his wake. He smiled, making a mental note to go talk to Lavenza. He had a feeling that things would work out soon.

"He looks livelier," a voice commented.

Akira turned to see Yu standing beside him, eyes on Morgana as he made a beeline for the grill.

"How long have you been standing there?" Akira asked.

"Not long," said Yu. "I just left the volleyball game."

Akira listened, but he could still hear the sound of the teams playing, the ball making a thudding noise as it struck the sand. "Not your thing?" he asked, smiling at Yu.

Yu returned the smile. "I'm a little tired," he said, rubbing at his shoulder. "I wonder why."

"Who knows?" Akira asked.

The two of them stood there for a moment, listening as the game started up again. Someone that sounded a lot like Ryuji let out a shout of frustration, while Chie laughed, exchanging a high-five with someone. He heard the sound of Rise cheering them on.

"They're doing better," Akira commented, glancing at Yu.

Yu nodded. "It might still be rough going," he said. "But I think we can go back to the tower now."

"Yeah," Akira said, thinking back to what he and Naoto had talked about, about the thing in the tower that wanted them to fight. "Hopefully."

Yu nodded, the two of them turning away from the volleyball match to look out at the ocean. Neither of them said anything for a long time.

"So," Akira said, "Six years."

"Since Inaba?" Yu asked. "Yeah."

"Did you ever want to stay?" Akira asked. "When it was over?"

Yu nodded. "I wanted to stay in Inaba. But it didn't end up working out that way."

"Rise?" Akira asked.

"Rise's part of it," said Yu. He gave Akira a knowing look. "Why? Thinking about coming back to Tokyo?"

Akira nodded. "There's nothing for me at home," he said. "And…" He looked back at the group without saying anything. From the look of understanding on Yu's face, he didn't need to speak.

"College entrance exams are coming up soon," Yu pointed out.

"Don't remind me," said Akira. He looked back out at sea. "I'm going to come back to Tokyo, one way or another. That's my plan. Do you think you're ever going to go back to Inaba?"

"Permanently?" Yu asked. "I don't know. The world isn't that big. I don't need to live in Inaba to see the people I care about. Besides, there's some good I can do here."

"Ryuji's right," said Akira.

"How's that?" asked Yu, looking back at him.

"You _are_ a nerd. Did you get that line out of an anime or something?"

Yu turned towards him, startled, then relented when he saw that Akira was smiling. He smiled back. "If we're going to talk about over the top lines," he said, "We never went around calling ourselves anything like 'the Phantom Thieves of Hearts'."

"Seems like a missed opportunity there," said Akira.

"Maybe," said Yu. They stood in silence for a few moments longer, before Yu turned towards him. "Look, Akira…how you were treated by the police…"

"You're going to change things?" Akira asked, brows raising. "Is that what you were going to say?"

"You don't believe me?" Yu asked.

"Not that," said Akira. "You're just not the first person I've heard say that. Makoto said the same thing, and her sister. And…I'm not just going to sit here doing nothing either."

Yu smiled. "If you remain true to yourself, your Persona doesn't ever go away. It only gets stronger. So maybe, with your team, it's that spirit of rebellion that you need to keep alive."

"If you talk like that, you almost sound like a Phantom Thief," Akira said.

"I guess you can just call me Ace," said Yu, winking at Akira.

Akira snorted. "Sure," he said. "Whatever."

"It's getting cold," Yu said. "You want to head back."

"Yeah," said Akira, nodding. "That's fine with me."

* * *

It was such a small thing, beneath their notice.

They would have never suspected, because they would never have thought to look.

It was such a small thing.

In the heart of the tower, a being dreamed. It gathered information from the threads that surrounded it, growing, learning. It had taken knowledge from the first few people that had disturbed it, the men, women, and children that had walked past its walls to see what lay within.

It had seen their secrets. Their stories. Their desires.

Their nightmares.

Within those dreams, it learned rage. It learned jealousy. It learned pride, and lust, and gluttony and all of the other things that lurked in the dark portions of the human heart.

Now, it was dreaming another dream. A dream in which it had power. The power to alter the state of the world, the power to change itself. It dreamed a dream of power lost, and in that dream, it learned something else.

Ambition. Sentience.

And the identities of the new intruders, fascinating individuals all.

And all of that stemmed from a single thread. A single, fragile, easily missed thread.

The sort of thread that would be no trouble at all to wrap around the paw of a cat.

* * *

 **Phantom Thieves Group…Chat? – 07/31**

 **Ryuji:** What is this?

 **Ryuji:** We've already got one group chat, guys.

 **Yusuke:** I'm aware.

 **Yusuke:** Futaba hasn't added me back onto the original chat.

 **Akira:** …

 **Yusuke:** And she isn't answering my text messages.

 **Yusuke:** I don't understand why.

 **Ann:** Um…wow, where do I start?

 **Ryuji:** Okay, dude…

 **Yusuke:** Could one of you convince her to let me back onto the chat?

 **Makoto:** We'll do our best, Yusuke.


	19. Changes

**A/N:** Hi guys, just a heads up, this chapter is **unbeta'd.** My beta reader has been a little too busy with summer stuff to get to this, and I figured that by this point, you'd much rather have the chapter. But it's entirely possible that this has typos, awkward word choices, missing words, and all the usual things we need second readers to pick out. Apologies!

* * *

 _ **20XY/08/01 (Tue)**_

 _ **Daytime**_

An unintended consequence of living just above their chosen hideout was that Akira's room was usually full of people. People came to the meetings early and would come upstairs to hang out, play video games, read, or do whatever they wanted. Normally, Akira didn't mind this. In fact, he enjoyed it. He liked being in the company of his friends, and if he didn't feel like talking, they were more than happy to entertain themselves.

Today, however, was a little different. Because today, the two people who had arrived early were Ann—who was doing her nails at the table he'd set up for her—and Futaba, and whether she realized it or not, Futaba had an _agenda._ He'd been reading a magazine when she walked in, and she'd insisted—quite loudly—that he _keep reading_ , because she just wanted to chill out here until the meeting.

He'd known from the way she said it that that had been a lie, but now he wondered if this might not legally qualify as a hostage situation.

"I mean," Futaba said, pacing the length of his room for what seemed like the tenth time. "It's not like I _care_ or anything."

"Mm-hmm…" Akira said, shifting awkwardly in his seat as Futaba punctuated her sentence with an emphatic gesture. She did a quick about face, marching in the other direction.

"Because I don't, Akira, I really _don't_!"

He flipped the magazine he was reading a little too quickly, the paper making a snapping sound. Ann glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, giving him a knowing smirk before looking back at her nails. Akira thought that she seemed entirely too pleased with his predicament.

"It's just—," Futaba said, running a hand through her hair. "It's _Inari_! I mean— _Inari."_

She shot him a glare and Akira nodded quickly, wondering if the magazine he was holding would make a good shield if pressed to do the job.

"I didn't even think he was _into_ girls!" Futaba said.

Ann turned away, laughing quietly where Futaba couldn't see. Akira raised the magazine to hide his increasingly-panicked expression.

"And it's not like I care, because I _don't_!" Futaba reminded him again. "But it's _creepy_! She's, what, in her twenties? She could be his _teacher_! Don't you think that's creepy, Akira?"

Akira made a strangled, high-pitched sort of noise, drawing his legs up onto the couch and wishing he could disappear into it. Ann, at this point, was practically doubled over.

"And sure, she's cute!" Futaba said. "But lots of people are cute. _I'm cute!_ Right? Akira, do you think I'm cute?"

Akira shot Ann a helpless look. She straightened up, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's okay," she said, smiling at him. "You can answer that."

"Uh…" Akira began, turning back towards Futaba.

"I mean, what does Yukiko Amagi have that I don't have?!" Futaba demanded, cutting him off before he could come up with a coherent answer.

Akira fell silent, staring at her. Ann went quiet as well. Futaba stopped walking, looking between the two of them for a long moment before looking down at herself. Akira wasn't sure what he was going to answer, but it certainly wasn't whatever Futaba was thinking, because her hands went up, made grasping motions somewhere in the vicinity of her chest, and then clenched into fists.

"Ugh!" she shouted. "That perv!"

She spun around, heading down the stairs in a fury. Akira's eyes widened, and he sprang out of his seat to go follow her. Ann did the same, nearly upending a jar of nail polish.

As he was getting to the stairs, he heard the front door open.

"Ah, Futaba," Yusuke said. "Are the others here yet? I came a little early, because—."

Akira reached the stairs just in time to see Futaba draw her hand back, slapping Yusuke across the face.

"Shut up!" she said, pushing past him and out into the street. "Stupid Inari!"

"What did I do?" Yusuke demanded, straightening up with one hand pressed to the side of his face.

Sojiro sighed from behind the counter, staring at them. He put down the glass he was drying. "Oh boy," he said, walking towards the door. "Futaba? Hey, Futaba!"

Yusuke looked up at Akira and Ann, his expression equal parts confused and angry. Akira sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He had a feeling it was going to be an interesting day…

* * *

Yu and the others arrived at Leblanc to find an odd sight—namely, most of the Phantom Thieves standing outside the door, clustered around their van, occasionally bending over as if they were trying to coax some scared animal out from underneath it. There was no sign of Yusuke.

"Come on, Futaba…" Ann said, a smile on her face as she extended her hand towards the van. "You know you want to come out."

"I have sweets," Haru said.

"You see?" Ann said. "Haru has sweets."

"Dude, just leave her," Ryuji said, leaning against the wall of the coffee shop. "She'll come out when she's hungry."

"What's going on?" Yu asked, approaching Akira. The teenager sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Futaba and Yusuke got into an argument this morning," Morgana said from the ground below Akira.

Akira nodded, wincing. "She slapped him and ran out of the store. Now she's in hiding and won't come out."

Kanji blinked. "Wait, she's hiding _in_ the van?" he asked. "She'll fry on a day like this."

"She's not a _dog_ , Kanji," said Yosuke. "I'm sure she'll come out if it gets too hot, right?"

Yu looked back at the Phantom Thieves, but from the looks on their faces, they weren't entirely convinced.

"I'm going to give it a try," Makoto said, walking up to the car. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the window. "Futaba, you really should come out. The heat in there can't be good for your laptop."

"I've got a cooling pad!" the van responded.

"Okay, well…don't you want to come inside anyway?" Makoto asked. "There's internet inside."

"I can get into Leblanc's Wi-Fi from here."

"If you come out," Makoto said, "Akira will make you iced coffee."

"Sojiro already made me iced coffee!" Futaba said.

As one, the Phantom Thieves turned around to face Sojiro Sakura, who was standing just outside the door of his shop, watching the proceedings. He blinked, looking around at them.

"What?" he asked. "It's hot in there."

"Let me try," Rise said, walking up to the van. She knocked on it. "Futaba-chan, you really need to come out."

"Give me one good reason!" Futaba said.

"You can't join the meeting if you're in there," said Rise.

Yu heard the sound of several phones ringing at once, including his own. The group exchanged looks of confusion, reaching for their phones. Yu pulled his out, noticing a message from an unknown number. He didn't know where it had come from, but it said only one thing:

 _Yes I can._

"How did she even getmy number?" Yukiko asked, incredulous.

"No clue," said Chie, staring down at her own phone with the same spooked expression. Rise, undeterred, slipped her phone back into her pocket. She clasped her hands behind her back and said, in her best 'idol' voice.

"I'll give you tickets to my next show~"

"Okay, one," Futaba said. "I'm not really into idols. Two, I don't really like crowds. Three, I can just download your shows off the internet. Master hacker, remember?"

"Agh, this is going nowhere," said Yosuke. "We're gonna be out here forever!"

"I can get her out!" said Teddie.

"Uh, no you _can't_ ," said Yosuke. He looked back at Yu. "Any ideas, partner?"

Yu shrugged, looking back at Naoto. The detective looked at him, then glanced at Kanji out of the corner of her eye. Yu followed her gaze, the two of them turning to look at Kanji.

Kanji blinked, looking up at them. "Huh—?" he asked, eyes widening. "Oh, uh—yeah! Okay."

He put a stern expression on his face, walking up to the van.

"Hey, uh—," he said, knocking on the door. "You like cute things? Stuffed animals, plush toys, that kinda stuff?"

There was silence from the inside of the car.

"…Sometimes…" Futaba said, her tone quietly calculating.

"What about—uh, whassitcalled," said Kanji. "Cosplay. You into that sorta thing?"

"…I'm listening."

"If you come out of the car, I'll put your next costume together," Kanji said. "Anything you want."

Kanji's phone buzzed again. At the same time, the door opened and Futaba stepped out of the van, holding her laptop under one arm and an empty glass of iced coffee in the other. "I've sent you the details," she said, not looking at Kanji. "The con isn't till December, so you've got time. What are the rest of you looking at?" she asked, looking around at the others. "I thought we had a meeting to get to or something?"

* * *

The meeting was routine as far as those things went. The sixteen of them sat around Leblanc's booths and tables, rehashing everything they knew so far. At the end, the decision to investigate the tower more tonight was made, and the group broke up to get ready with instructions to meet outside the house later that night.

There was only one thing that was out of the ordinary.

At the end of the meeting, Akira announced, with a significant glance at Morgana, that there was somewhere he wanted to go before they entered the remnant. Yu volunteered to accompany him. And that was, in a roundabout way, why Ryuji and Kanji were standing in a shady alley in Shibuya, waiting for Naoto and Makoto to finish the shopping at Untouchable, or for Yu and Akira to exit the strange door they had just come through, whichever came first.

"Hey," Kanji said, making Ryuji look up from the game he was playing on his cellphone. The two of them were standing on opposite sides of the alleyway, Ryuji leaning against the wall while Kanji stood around with his hands in his pockets. "What d'you think they're doing in there?"

"Buying stuff, I guess," said Ryuji, glancing back at his cellphone. "Why's it matter?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand, wincing at the slick feeling of his skin. It was too damn hot to be standing out here waiting for the girls to finish shopping. He'd much rather be in the arcade, or even in the underground mall. But Naoto had gotten it into her head that since the 'mysterious entity' or whatever had shown that it was capable of affecting the minds of the people it had corrupted, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to walk around the city alone while it knew who they were.

That entire thing could have been avoided if the Investigation Team had come up with codenames for themselves, but they hadn't, so here they were. Playing bodyguard for two people who could unquestionably take care of themselves.

"No, not _them_ ," said Kanji, scowling at Ryuji in annoyance. "I meant Senpai and Akira."

"Oh," said Ryuji. "Them." He let his eyes drift to the side, to the corner of the alleyway where he _knew_ the door to the Velvelt Room stood. Or at least, he'd have to take Akira's word for it. He still couldn't see it. "I dunno. Probably talking about Morgana. Why's it matter?"

Kanji shrugged. "Just curious," he said. "I still don't really get how that room works."

"You and me both," said Ryuji, glancing back down at his phone. "You and me both."

"So," said Kanji, making Ryuji look up again. "What's your story?"

"My story?" Ryuji asked, blinking at him.

"Yeah," said Kanji. "Blond hair, punk clothes. You tryin' to be some kind of biker or something?"

Ryuji snorted. "I wish," he said. "No way in hell I could afford a motorcycle. Makoto's more the biker type."

"Yeah, she's pretty tough," said Kanji, wincing and rubbing at his side as if in memory. "The two of you are—what, a thing?"

Ryuji coughed, nearly dropping his phone. "What?" he asked. "No way! She's just helping me study for college, that's all."

"Yeah?" Kanji asked. "You got one you're thinking of applying to?"

"I've got a couple," Ryuji said. "I just haven't decided on anything yet—and why are you so interested anyway?" The last was said with narrowed eyes, Ryuji watching Kanji with renewed suspicion.

Kanji shrugged. "You remind me a little of myself, I guess," he said. "Used to dye my hair too. Drove Ma insane."

"Yeah, Futaba mentioned," Ryuji said. "She found your old high school pictures."

Kanji snorted. "Yeah, those're from when I even bothered to show up. School and I didn't get along for a bit."

"Yeah?" Ryuji asked. "You seem like you're doing okay now, though."

"Well, I had the textile shop lined up, and then Naoto…" Kanji trailed off, shaking his head. "Anyway. S'not a big deal." He went silent for a moment, giving Ryuji a serious look. "At the beach yesterday," he said, "Ann mentioned your dad wasn't in the picture."

Ryuji's mood darkened. He scowled, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Yeah, so what?" he asked. "Who cares about stuff like that? I don't need him."

"You and your ma live alone, then?" Kanji asked. "I was like that, 'cept my dad died. It was tough for a bit. I got really angry. Didn't know how to deal with it, or anyone."

"Yeah, well you can stop, okay?" Ryuji asked, looking up at Kanji. "I'm not _you_. I don't act this way 'cause I've got some—some anger issues or whatever, alright?! I just—I just want to get into college, so I can get a job and help my mom out a bit, okay? And I would've already been there, if it wasn't—."

He stopped, realizing that he was tapping his bad leg on the ground again, his hands clenched into fists.

"If it wasn't for what?" Kanji asked.

Ryuji let out a breath. "Look, I was on the track team, alright?" he said. "I was pretty good. For a while it looked like I might even get a track scholarship or something."

"And then?"

"And then it didn't work out that way," said Ryuji. "And I really don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," said Kanji, shrugging. He dropped the subject, going quiet again. Ryuji's hand inched towards his pocket, but he didn't feel like playing games anymore. He let it drop away, scowling as he leaned back against the wall.

"It's a really good thing you're doin', you know," Kanji said.

"What is?" Ryuji asked.

"Helpin' your ma out," said Kanji. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Ryuji blinked at Kanji, unsure what to say. "Uh…thanks, I guess. I'll keep at it."

"Yeah," said Kanji. "And between you and me…" His eyes moved away from Ryuji, landing on the doorway that led into the airsoft shop. "If you _do_ like her, I wouldn't go thinkin' she was too good for you, or something like that. Nearly missed out on a great thing thinking that way." He offered Ryuji a smile. "Just a piece of advice. Take it or leave it."

Ryuji hesitated, staring at Kanji. The denial came easily to him, but he paused before he could say anything, thinking. He drew in a deep breath.

"Sure, okay," he said, reaching for his phone again. "Whatever."

* * *

Lavenza and Margaret were waiting for them when they entered the Velvet Room, the two of them standing on opposite sides of Igor's desk. They each carried a book with them, golden eyes shining as they turned to face Akira and Yu. Their expressions were nearly identical, something that—if Akira hadn't already been familiar with the Velvet Room and its quirks—would likely have been unsettling.

Margaret smiled, inclining her head towards them. "Well," she said, "I see that you've found each other."

"Yeah," Akira said, glancing at Yu. Yu returned the glance. "Somehow."

Yu looked past the two attendants, his eyes landing on Igor. "It would have saved us a lot of time and trouble if you'd mentioned that there were two of us," he said.

"Ah, yes," said Igor, fingers threaded together. He watched Yu and Akira, smiling. "But that would have interfered with the necessary order. The Velvet Room exists only to assist you along our chosen paths. We do not…generally…intervene in these affairs beyond the offering of our services."

Akira glanced down at Morgana, who was standing between him and Yu, his posture solemn.

"You've intervened before," Akira said.

"A special case, as I'm sure you're no doubt aware," said Igor. His smile widened. "Rest assured, the time has not yet come for us to intervene again."

"Fair enough," said Akira, "I'm here to talk about Morgana."

"You're here to ask what can be done for him, yes?" Lavenza asked. She set her book down on the desk, approaching Akira and Yu. "As promised, I discussed the situation with my master. We've decided that we _can_ assist Morgana in regaining his abilities."

Morgana's eyes widened, his ears immediately perking up. Akira blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting an answer that soon.

"That's great—," he began, but Lavenza raised a hand, cutting him off. There was a look in her golden eyes that warned him he may have spoken too soon.

"There is, of course, a catch," Lavenza said.

Morgana's posture went from excited to wary, his eyes narrowing. Akira frowned, nodding slowly. He'd been a Phantom Thief for long enough to know that there was _always_ a catch.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It will take some time," Lavenza said. "The process is…not trivial. We will essentially be restoring that which once was, that which has been stripped from all consciousness and cognition. Morgana will not be able to leave the Velvet Room until that process is complete."

"I'll have to stay _here_?" Morgana asked. He looked back at Akira. "But—."

"It's your choice," said Lavenza. "It has always ever been your choice. We can restore you, but it will take some time."

"How long?" Akira asked.

"I'm uncertain," said Lavenza. "This isn't something that's been attempted before."

"But when it's finished," said Morgana, "I'll be able to use my Persona again? I'll be able to help Akira and the others?"

"That depends entirely on the strength of your soul," said Igor, breaking in. "But yes, I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case."

Morgana hesitated, looking back over his shoulder at Akira.

Akira echoed Lavenza. "It's your choice," he said.

Morgana nodded, letting out a sigh. He looked up at Lavenza, eyes narrowed in determination. "I'll do it," he said. "I'll stay, for as long as it takes."

Lavenza smiled. "Good," she said. "I will assist you with this transformation." She looked up at Yu and Akira, offering them both a polite curtsy. "In the meantime, my older sister will attend to your needs."

Akira nodded. He looked down at Morgana as the cat stepped forward, approaching Lavenza. Morgana looked back just as Lavenza reached down, patting him lightly on the head.

"Good luck," Akira said.

Morgana nodded. "Stay out of trouble," he said, his eyes moving from Akira to Yu. "I'll be back soon."

"Yeah," Akira said. "I'm looking forward to it, Mona."

Lavenza led Morgana away, the two of them disappearing through a doorway that had not been there previously. Akira waited until the door had closed and vanished before letting out a sigh, looking back at Yu.

"Time to head back?" he asked.

"I have some Personas to fuse," Yu said, already turning to face Margaret. "I'll be there in a minute."

Akira shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said.

He let his eyes sweep over the room one more time, landing on Margaret, Yu, and Igor. Then, he turned, leaving the Velvet Room.

* * *

 **Phantom Thieves Group Chat – 08/01**

 _Yusuke has been added to the group._

 **Futaba:** Inari is now conditionally allowed back onto the chat.

 **Haru:** Yay!

 **Ann:** Welcome back!

 **Ryuji:** Sweet.

 **Ryuji:** How'd you manage that, Akira?

 **Akira:** Bribery mostly.

 **Yusuke:** Thank you.

 **Futaba:** You're welcome.

 **Yusuke:** I was talking to Akira.

 **Futaba:** …

 _Yusuke has been removed from the group._

 **Makoto:** Futaba!


End file.
